Do you ever find yourself missing Ramadan during random moments throughout the year? When this happens to me I browse through International Ramadan Photography Competition's photo albums on Facebook. Isn't it amazing that we can have a glimpse of how Ramadan and Eid was celebrated around the world?
Here are some of the photos that were submitted this year. I took the liberty of captioning them. Although these pictures can never replace actual experiences I hope you find inspiration in them, nonetheless. It is nice to be reminded that despite our differences we are one Ummah and we are all seeking His love and forgiveness.
Age is not a barrier to knowledge. (Sanaa, Yemen by Abdul Wahab Ahmed al-Banaa)
Allah listens to our every prayer even though we are like a grain of sand in the vastness of this universe.
This is an urgent appeal from Viva Palestina Malaysia (website / Facebook). If you are not in Malaysia, please contact your local Islamic Relief centre or any other authorised organisation that is doing something similar. Israel has mercilessly launched another attack on Gaza and martyred at least 25 people so far, including elderly people and children. We are praying Operation Protective Edge will not have an aftermath worse than that of Operation Pillar of Cloud which took place during Ramadan in 2012 whereby 170 Palestinians died and over 1000 were injured. Almost half of them were women and children.
The recent attack has left hundreds of Gazans injured and according to my friends who have been to Gaza, the hospitals have very limited medical supplies and equipments. Below you will find the names and ages of some of those who have been martyred in the last few days. Innalillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon.
I first came across Yasmin Mogahed's work on SuhaibWebb.com during my final year at university. It was a stressful year for many of my friends and I, but discussions about Yasmin Mogahed's Serenity radio show and inspiring articles helped get us through our trials that year. When I returned to Malaysia I had the chance to listen to her speak live at the 2012 Being ME conference. This year I have been fortunate enough to attend her talks and meet her in person again, alhamdulillah. I was invited by the lovely Husna Musa to an afternoon tea session organised by Light Upon Light and Viva Palestina Malaysia, and when that ended we rushed to attend another lecture by Yasmin Mogahed that evening. So you could say I spent a day with Ms. Mogahed :)
One of the best parts is that ticket sales of both events went towards projects for women in Gaza, inshaAllah. Here's a little something for everyone who couldn't be with us that day.
Banksy graffiti on the separation wall in Palestine
When Operation Pillar of Cloud commenced in Gaza we turned to Twitter for coverage and commentary because the majority of mainstream media failed to deliver sufficient information. Harry Fear's live reportage of the 8-day war was one of the few that garnered worldwide attention on social media. From digital activism to real life activism, Fear is currently on a tour to speak about his personal experiences in the occupied land. It never crossed my mind that I'd listen to him speak in person someday but I did when he was in Kuala Lumpur a few weeks ago.
An annual day of commemoration for the Palestinian people of the displacement that accompanied the creation of Israel in 1948
Today marks the 63rd year of the illegal occupation of Palestine. It breaks my heart to see innocent civilians are still the victims of this crime. When will the suffering end for both Palestinians and Israelis who are caught in the middle of this war between the Israeli government and the Palestinian people? How many more will have to die before a real resolution is constructed? Why aren't the Arab nations united? So many questions run through my mind.
Today we saw uprisings by hundreds of Palestinians living in Syria, Lebanon and Egypt. So far 13 people were reported killed by Israeli troops during the protests. Although Nakba is officially commemorated on the 15th of May every year the reality is everyday is Nakba for Palestinians. All we can do is watch in disbelief.
But some choose to get creative like the mysteriously famous graffiti artist, only known as Banksy, who went to Palestine in 2005 to make a rather unique political statement.
Although the paintings themselves are not overtly political, his feelings about the wall are apparent from his statement: "The Israeli government is building a wall surrounding the occupied Palestinian territories. It stands three times the height of the Berlin Wall and will eventually run for over 700km - the distance from London to Zurich. The wall is illegal under international law and essentially turns Palestine into the world's largest open prison."
I'm sure most of you have heard about the cruel Israeli military attacks on the Freedom Flotilla ships that brought much needed humanitarian and developmental for Palestinians. These ships carried almost 700 passengers from 40 different countries who joined the flotilla: human rights workers, humanitarian aid workers, Members of Parliament, doctors, nurses, teachers, community leaders, and international journalists. Tell me, how were these people a threat to Israel? As explained here:
"All ships were thoroughly searched by local port authorities in Greece and Turkey prior to their departure. Additionally, the coalition hired an independent security firm to search the ships and certify that no weapons were on board. All passengers went through nonviolence training and were likewise searched for weapons prior to boarding. The Turkish government, a member-state of the NATO alliance, vetted all the Turkish passengers to insure there was no one with ties to extremist groups. These precautionary steps were deliberately taken to prevent Israeli propaganda officials from ever being able to claim that the Freedom Flotilla posed any 'security risk' to Israel."
It's crystal clear that Zionists will stop at nothing to make sure their plan succeeds. They've taken over the media, multinational corporations and people's lands. They've taken away dreams, hopes, lives and human rights.
Let this be a lesson for all of us.
The love of this world is what drives them to commit acts of cruelty and injustice, and what's worse is that they've managed to make us love this world as much as they do. They've successfully convinced people that there is nothing else to live for but ad-dunya (this life and its pleasures). When in truth, it is the furtherest thing away from us. How and why? It's simple. Human beings are insatiable. We will never feel truly contented by chasing only material wealth and worldly pleasures.
"Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "If Adam's son had a valley full of gold, he would like to have two valleys, for nothing fills his mouth except dust. And Allah forgives him who repents to Him."
(Hadeeth narrated by Anas bin Malik - Volume 8, Book 76, Number 447)
I have friends and loved ones who spend hundreds on alcohol only to spend hundreds more the next week on the same thing. I've shed so many tears knowing this but in the past I couldn't understand why. All I could feel was that they were hurting themselves by doing so. God knows how much I've spent on material things only to find myself buying more not long after. I've learned recently that there is no true satisfaction in this life until we discover what our true purpose is as human beings - to know and love the Almighty.
Allah (SWT) says: "I was a hidden treasure; I loved to be known. Hence I created the world so that I would be known.
Change isn't easy and I say this from personal experience. However, once you discover the truth about life you must do something about it. To lie to yourself and deny it would be the biggest mistake you could ever make. My personal aim is to find a balance in my life. There is nothing wrong with appreciating the bounties of this world but I know there is so much more to life than what it seems.
To my Palestinian brothers and sisters and to those who have fought for your cause, and to all who have been wronged by heartless leaders and dictators (Iraqis, Bosnians, Kurds, Zimbabweans and so on), I can't begin to imagine what it feels like to be in your shoes. You've been trampled on, shot down and even murdered yet your spirit lives on. I regret this distance between us and I feel so helpless. But please know that you inspire me and the rest of the world to stand up for the truth, help those in need and persevere through hardship. For now, all I can do is write what seems like a meaningless and trivial post but I promise you this... you will always be in my prayers and I will do what I can to help make this world a better place.
