Many of the new Muslims are Latinos who are living in the US and in Latin America. Recent studies such as the The American Mosque 2011 Report reveal that the number of Latino converts in the US has been steadily increasing since the year 2000, more so than any other racial or ethnic group. Similar trends are occurring in neighboring Mexico and further south in Central and South America, where the primary language is Spanish.

Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world, and the official language of 21 countries. With over 50 million native speakers and second-language speakers, the United States has the second largest Spanish-speaking population in the world, after Mexico. Spanish is the most studied foreign language in the US.

In the Qur’an, God says, “And We sent not a Messenger except with the language of his people, in order that he might make (the Message) clear for them. Then Allah misleads whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise”(Qur’an, 14:4). This points to the importance of providing educational materials about Islam in all languages. And due to the dramatically rising number of Spanish-speaking Muslim converts in the US, the need for resources in Spanish cannot be ignored.

ICNA and its WhyIslam project are among the few organizations providing services for this demographic, with Spanish-speaking operators on the 1-877-WhyIslam hotline, educational material in Spanish, Spanish sessions during the annual ICNA-MAS convention, and The Message International magazine now featuring articles in the Spanish language.

Islam is an integral part of Latino history and culture and as such, Hispanics who choose to become Muslim are merely rediscovering and embracing their past. Through our efforts, with God’s help, we can share the message with our brothers and sisters in humanity and facilitate the success of their transition.

Somos testigos de la realización de esta profecía hoy en día, ya que el Islam sigue extendiéndose desde el este hacia el oeste, incluyendo América del Norte y del Sur, donde el número de musulmanes se duplicará para el año 2030, según las estadísticas.
Muchos de los nuevos musulmanes son latinos que viven en los EE.UU. y en Latinoamérica. Estudios recientes, como el Reportaje de La Mezquita Americana 2011, revelan que los conversos latinos en los Estados Unidos están aumentando gradualmente desde el año 2000, más que cualquier otro grupo racial o étnico. Tendencias similares se están produciendo al sur de la frontera en México y también en América Central y del Sur, donde el idioma principal es el español.

El español es el segundo idioma más hablado en el mundo, y el idioma oficial de 21 países. Con más de 50 millones de hablantes nativos y hablantes de segunda lengua, los Estados Unidos tiene la segunda mayor población de habla hispana en el mundo después de México y es la lengua extranjera más estudiada en los EE.UU.

En el Corán, Dios dice, “Y no hemos enviado a ningún mensajero que no hablara en el idioma de su pueblo, para (poder) explicarles. Alá extravía a quien Le place y guía a quien Le place y Él es el Poderoso, el Sabio.” (El Corán 14:4)

Debido al número creciente de musulmanes latinos de habla hispana en los EE.UU., la necesidad de recursos en español no puede ser ignorada. ICNA y su proyecto WhyIslam son dos de las pocas organizaciones que proporcionan servicios para esta demográfica, con operadoras de habla hispana en la línea telefónica 1-877-WhyIslam, material educativo en español, sesiones para los hispanohablantes durante la conferencia anual ICNA-MAS, y ahora la revista The Message International (El Mensaje Internacional) presentando artículos en español.

El Islam es parte de la historia y cultura latina, por lo tanto, los hispanos que optan por convertirse en musulmanes no hacen más que volver a descubrir y aceptar su pasado. A través de nuestros esfuerzos, con la ayuda de Dios, podemos compartir el mensaje con nuestros hermanos y hermanas en la humanidad y facilitar su transición.

The Islamophobic campaign is nothing new in America. It is even worse in Europe. The film made by Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, a California man who was convicted in 2009 of bank fraud, is not the first effort to denigrate Islam and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), nor will it be the last. In the recent past, there have been countless attempts by Islamophobes to incite a fierce reaction in the Muslim community. In some cases, the provocateurs succeeded in eliciting a violent response. On other occasions, their hate-mongering plots faded into obscurity, especially when Muslims decided to ignore them or chose to counter/correct them through dialogue and other civil means. The results were obviously positive: the challenges soon turned into opportunities where Muslims were able to present the truth of Islam to their fellow citizens.

Those who seek to inflame passions will continue their brazen incitements, hoping that Muslims will take the bait. They can then say, “See how violent the Muslims are.” The incitements will remain unabated; but Muslims must stop reacting and instead respond to the evil with something that is civil and intelligent, that which puts the bigotry to shame. In fact, the Quran itself commands Muslims to “repel evil with what is better” (surah 41: verse 34). The Quran also says: “O you who believe! Be steadfast in the cause of Allah, bearing witness in equity; and let not a people’s enmity incite you to act otherwise than with justice. Be always just, that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah. Surely, Allah is aware of what you do” (surah 5: verse 9).

The overzealous Muslims, who claim to be defending the honor of the Prophet by attacking the embassies and committing acts of mayhem and destruction, and even murder, need to reflect on how Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) would have responded to a provocation like the film. The Prophet was a man of patience, peace, and mercy. Even though he was attacked and insulted many times throughout his life, he responded with a high-minded and measured perspective, always inclined to compassion and forgiveness, and never acting out of revenge or in a violence-driven way. Engaging in wanton acts of violence and senseless killing can only serve to defile his sublime legacy in the minds of those who don’t know him. Muslims in the Middle East and around the world must remember this: We honor the Prophet by following his example of tolerance and patience in the face of hostility.

It is true and unfortunate that some biased individuals and organizations are stirring up hatred against Islam and Muslims with unrelenting persistence. The film that is center stage in the current turbulence is a manifestation of exceeding ignorance and the most ignoble foolishness in its scandalous attack against the Prophet, Islam, and Muslims. To make it worse, some people are defending this insanity calling it “freedom of expression.” However, there are huge numbers of people in America and elsewhere who have condemned this film and among them are leaders of various faiths, especially Christianity and Judaism.

Muslims must think deeply before reacting tempestuously. For overreacting to such provocations will only make things worse. Resorting to violence shouldn’t be an option at any time. The maker and sponsors of the anti-Prophet film have undoubtedly put forth a piece of propaganda promoting the worst kind of bigotry; still, this should never be an excuse to commit any act of violence against a person or any destruction of property.

We are certainly not suggesting that Muslims stop defending the Prophet. But the best way to defend the Prophet is by conveying to people who he really was, and by emulating his sublime character. We cannot become emotionally overblown and act irrationally every time an Islamophobe insults Islam. We should act with utmost maturity and deal with caution, care, and prudence. The Prophet (peace be upon him) is loved and respected by hundreds of millions of people around the world, and no one can take this veneration from our hearts. So we should not fall into the trap of those who want to use our anger as a way to instill hatred in the minds and hearts of non-Muslims. Indeed, there is no God-conscious faith or love for the Prophet in reacting in a brutal and destructive way.

We call on Muslims around the world to “repel evil with what is better.” That might entail ignoring a provocation, like the film in question, that is ugly in its purpose but supremely foolish in its content. It might require presenting a reasoned argument as to why some anti-Islam talking point is erroneous. In all cases, repelling evil with what is better demands speech and behavior that is measured, civil, and judicious.

What exactly is the scenario of suffering in Africa today? Beyond the well-known fact that Africa has the highest proportion of population in extreme poverty is the reality of the worst drought in 60 years, according to the United Nations, which is affecting at least 10 million people in the Horn of Africa. Some areas are suffering famine and, at the same time, enduring rising food prices. Countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, and Djibouti have been affected the most. Then there are other, just as pernicious, perennial problems. For example, 200,000 child slaves are sold every year in Africa. There are an estimated 8,000 female child slaves in West Africa alone (sources: BBC 5 October, 2001 and the Anti-Slavery Society, a British organization committed to the worldwide abolition of slavery). About 12 to 14 million African children have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS (source: World Bank/UNICEF). Nearly 2 million children under 14 years of age are HIV positive (source: UNICEF). A startling 43 percent of children in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have safe, accessible drinking water (source: UNICEF); and 64 percent of children in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have adequate sanitation (source: UNICEF).   Four million people are still food-insecure in Somalia alone, and 3.7 million Somalis are in desperate need of health care (source: United Nations). The list of problems goes on and on.

If you are not merciful to people, Allah will not be merciful to you

What should be the role of Muslims, then, toward the suffering of their African brothers and sisters? Is there any justification for us to be indifferent? The answer is absolutely “No”! This moral consciousness galvanizes countless numbers of Muslim individuals and many Muslim charitable organizations, such as Helping Hand for Relief & Development. They are providing great services for distressed humanity all over the world, including Africa. We commend their services and as a gesture of appreciation, we have provided some coverage on the programs and services of HHRD in Africa in this issue of The Message International. We hope this will inspire many others to contribute to the efforts in whatever way they can.

The issues that cause or exacerbate the suffering in Africa cannot be ignored. How can we, the Muslim community in other parts of the world, turn a blind eye while all over Africa there are children being orphaned at a rate that history has never seen before? In Qur’an, in Surah Al-Fajr, Allah SWT calls to the people of ignorance who claim to adhere to a religion that brings them close to Allah: “No indeed! You do not treat the orphans with respect nor do you urge one another the feeding of the poor and you devour the whole of inheritance greedily, and you love wealth with all your hearts” (Al-Quran 89:17-20). The Qur’an also describes a scene from the Day of Judgment in which the righteous people in their heavenly Gardens ask those who are being engulfed by the fires of Hell what the reasons are for their punishment. Among the reasons cited are neglecting the rights and needs of the poor, allowing people to suffer with hunger or thirst, lack of shelter, or other adversity, and turning callously away from those afflicted and miserable human beings. Indeed, the moral mandate of Islam requires that a Muslim be kind, charitable, and merciful to his/her fellow human beings. Love for God veritably entails loving and serving humanity.

The Qur’an further reminds us, saying: “You cannot attain to righteousness unless you spend (in charity) out of what you love” (Surah Al-Imran, 3:92).  In other words, there is no piety without charity. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) also exhorted: “The highest level of the intellect, after belief in God, is to be of service to the creation.”

It should be mentioned that foremost among God’s attributes are mercy and compassion (in Arabic, Rahman and Rahim). The Qur’an declares that “God has enjoined upon Himself (the rule of) rahmah” (6:12). The root meaning of Rahman and Rahim is “womb” which characterizes a place where something is formed, nourished, and protected. The family is a place where human ties are formed and nourished and protected, whether a single family unit or the entire human family. Indeed, our local and global human ties must be characterized by the compassion that Allah SWT enjoins upon Himself and us.

One of the practical purposes of fasting during the month of Ramadan is “to help one empathize with the hunger pangs of those less fortunate, to enhance sensitivity to the suffering of others, and to develop compassion for the poor and destitute.”

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is referred to by the Qur’an as the Mercy to the world (21:107); and in one of his sayings, the Prophet (pbuh) warned the believers: “If you are not merciful to people, Allah will not be merciful to you.” May Allah SWT guide us and help us to be mindful and dutiful toward hapless humanity.

Muslims constitute less than two per cent of the U.S. population. Among them, the number of practicing Muslims is even much less. But what we are being told day and night is that “sharia is taking over America.” The absurdity of this accusation is evidently clear: in order for shariah to become law of the land, majority people would have to support this.Then we must ask: who is behind the “No Shariah” campaign and what is the motive? The New York Times reports: “It is the product of an orchestrated drive that began five years ago in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, in the office of a little-known lawyer, David Yerushalmi, a 56-year-old Hasidic Jew with a history of controversial statements about race, immigration and Islam. Despite his lack of formal training in Islamic law, Mr. Yerushalmi has come to exercise a striking influence over American public discourse about sharia.” (Andrea Elliott, “The Man Behind the Anti-Shariah Movement”, NYT, July 31, 2011) Michael Collins Piper of American Free Press also writes: “Working with a cadre of conservative public-policy institutes and former military and intelligence officials, Mr.Yerushalmi has written privately financed reports, filed lawsuits against the government and drafted the model legislation that recently swept through the country—all with the effect of casting shariah as one of the greatest threats to American freedom since the Cold War.”

Fear Inc., The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America, another important study on the subject reveals that the “No Shariah” campaign is basically comprised of five interlocking elements. The first is the funding source: only seven contributors have given nearly $43 million to anti-Muslim organizations and think tanks in the past decade. The second constituent part is played by five Islam-bashing scholars and policy experts and their organizations. The third element in the anti-shariah campaign is the religious right, and the fourth is comprised of the media enablers. The fifth component involves political players like Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, and their ilk.

What do these people say about shariah? Anti-shariah campaigners suggest that the shariah law will replace the American constitution and American laws; that Muslims are using stealthy techniques and agendas with the express aim of “destroying Western civilization from within”; that shariah oppresses women and institutes harsh penal laws. The proponents of “No sharia” campaign are imploring the legislators both at the state and federal level, as well as the presidential candidates, “to protect the constitution by repudiating shariah law.”

The fact, however, is that shariah, historically, has been considered and made use of when relevant or suitable in American courts, in exactly the same way as other religious and foreign laws have been applied, with the same objective of serving the cause of justice for litigants from a particular religious or foreign background or community, and yet, wholly consistent with the law of the land. As professor Abed Awad has rightly mentioned: “Shariah is protected by the 1st Amendement and any attempt to restrict it is unconstitutional… As long as a provision in Jewish law, canon law or shariah does not offend our constitutional protections and public policy, courts will consider it.” In fact, a federal court has recently held that a ban on shariah would likely violate the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution and the First Amendment.

Since confusions and misgivings about shariah abound, a few notes on the concept and contents of shariah would be of help. Shariah literally means way or path–Muslims apply the shariah in their lives every day when they pray, fast or carry out their religious obligations. Shariah is not just a set of punishments. It is comprehensive code of conduct that guides Muslim beliefs and practices. The interpretation of Shariah is considered to be valid so long as it protects and advocates for life, property, family, faith, and intellect.  Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, one of Islam’s leading scholars, said, “Shariah in its entirety is justice, mercy and wisdom. Any rule which transforms justice to tyranny, mercy to its opposite, the good to the evil, and wisdom to triviality does not belong to the Shariah.”

Abraham Foxman, National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) rightly says “concerns about a ‘creeping Sharia law’ are the stuff of pure paranoia.” He also says that these are the results of “pernicious conspiracy theories.” Indeed, the main purpose behind the anti-shariah campaign is to generate Islamophobia and the perception that Islam and Muslims shouldn’t be part of the American society.

Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) therefore has taken up the task of dispelling the myths about shariah and communicating the truth to the American public. To this end, ICNA has launched a year-long nation-wide campaign under the theme “Defending Religious Freedom — Understanding Shariah.” Our purpose is to present the facts through open dialogue. We sincerely believe that truth has its own power which, if presented accurately and faithfully, will prevail over falsehood. Our fellow Americans deserve to know the truth and we must not fail them.

Yet how many of us lead our lives with full consciousness of this reality? Why can’t we keep this awareness as we ought to do? Why do many of us fail to elevate ourselves? God Almighty, our creator who knows all of our affairs—hidden or manifest — tells us in the Qur’an: “Verily, he truly prospers who purifies himself and glorifies the name of the Guardian-Lord, and (lifts his heart) in prayer. But you prefer the life of this world, whereas the life hereafter is better and ever- lasting. This indeed is what is taught in the former scriptures, the scriptures of Abraham and Moses” (Surah Al-A’la: 15-20).These verses of the Qur’an are very revealing and eye-opening, and therefore require further elaboration so that we might deeply contemplate and comprehend their meaning.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “If someone wants to know what position he enjoys in the eyes of God, he has only to look at what place he gives to God [in his heart and life].”

The first and foremost point is the emphasis on purification—cleansing ourselves from all manner of defilement. We are created in a very complex fashion and our minds, hearts, and physical bodies are in constant fluctuation and vulnerable to imbalance. Likewise, our faith increases and decreases, and so our manners in dealing with other people can be of greater or lesser quality. Therefore, it’s a matter of ongoing struggle, to engage in the process of contemplation and self-examination, continually striving to perfect our manners in our relationship with ourselves, with others, and above all, in our relationship with our Lord. This battle of our inner forces, of the heart and the ego, is the scene for the “testing period” here on earth. As God the Almighty states in the Qur’an, it is “He who created death and life in order to test which of you is best in deed”(Qur’an 67:2). Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also reminded us: “Be heedful! There is a piece of flesh in your bodies that when it is well, the rest of you is well, and when it is sick, the rest of you is sick. Know that it is the heart” (Bukhari and Muslim).Veritably, a heart is healthy when it is cleansed of wrongful concerns and heedless impulses, those being put right by the practice of good morals and genuine surrender to Allah SWT.

It is the case that every soul is created in a pure form, but as we live and engage in human society, our personalities are shaped by multiple influences. Some are positive and some are negative. Therefore, we have to consciously strive to discern what elevates us and what debases us, and use our God-given faculties to cultivate the best elements within ourselves and eliminate the rest. Only a sound heart will find entry into Paradise.

The second point we can glean from the above verse is that the constant remembrance of God is the key to spiritual elevation and success. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “If someone wants to know what position he enjoys in the eyes of God, he has only to look at what place he gives to God [in his heart and life]” (Hakim). Indeed, a God-oriented life for man starts by his remembering God and following His commandments in every sphere of his life. The remembrance of God should never be absent from our hearts and minds no matter where we are and whoever or whatever we are dealing with. Indeed, successful will be the ones who earn God’s grace on the Day of Judgment, whose balance of good deeds will be weightier than that of their bad deeds; and that only proceeds from a cultivated habit of remembering God and what He has ordained.

The third point is that the attitude and approach toward this worldly life must be proper. We should not sacrifice Akhirah (the life hereafter) which is permanent and real, for Dunya (this worldly life) which is transitory and illusionary. As Hasan Al-Basri so rightly and eloquently stated, “What is this world but a dream that a sleeper sees—he delights in it for a few moments, and then wakes up to face reality.”The “reality” he refers to is accountability in the Hereafter. Along these same lines, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) advised us that we should have “an indifference towards the abode of delusions.” Indeed, “disconnecting one’s heart from the life of this world,” as Imam Ghazali has pointed out, “is not fully achieved unless one also possesses a balanced character and a sound and upright heart.” Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said, “Good character and morals transform errors as water melts ice, while bad character alters good deeds as vinegar cuts honey” (Tabarani and Baihaqi). Therefore, when we err, we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that every mistake is an opportunity and a signal that it is time to grow in our relationship with Allah (SWT). And as we turn to Him walking, He turns to us rushing. May Allah (SWT) help us experience this spiritual awakening and enable us to beautify our hearts and lives with His Divine Light. Ameen.

Yet it seems that those who are inclined to individualism can easily slide into Ayn Randian perspectives.  These advocate a “morality of selfishness” and an unabashed egoism. Rejected is any notion of ethical altruism — the unselfish concern for and devotion to the welfare of others.  The mindset of individualism taken to the extreme explains audience members at the Republican debate who cheered  the idea of letting an uninsured man die or wildly applauded Texas governor Rick Perry’s record for greatest number of executions in any state.  Such hardheartedness also explains to great extent the growing protests to the banking oligarchy on Wall Street. 

Combating greed and a heartless ultra-right-wing ideology and the policies they generate is made more possible with the use of the internet’s alternative media and social media networking. Steve Jobs has become a household name and it symbolizes this distinctive time of personal technology that gives each individual the opportunity to bring forward an entrepreneurial idea, a plan of action for a civic project, or a rallying call that champions a cause. And in every case there is potential for reaching a critical mass of minds and imaginations — in ways that can literally transform the political, social, and/or economic vista in one’s own city or around the world. President Obama once said, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”  His predecessor, John F. Kennedy, said along the same lines, “One person can make a difference and every person should try.”

We can influence and be influenced as we ride the social media wave toward the shore

We know that great social changes have always been identified with a name and a resolute character — the prophets sent by Allah SWT best typify these eminent souls. And in our contemporary times there have been those who ushered in great social changes like Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rosa Parks. They were the pre-internet activists. Asmaa Mahfouz, whose YouTube video sparked a revolution in Egypt, and those like her, are the new activists, using social media to map out the way to positive change.

This issue explores the varying forms of social media. It also focuses on how the youth are using their skills and the tools of technology to raise the volume of an ever-growing stream of voices that choose to share and nurture positive human experience — people collaborating for the common good.  While certain cautions are noted about the pervasive and often addictive power of social media, the focus is on the youth who are using their creativity and technological savvy  to create greater access to information, increase communication, and make available accurate material about Islam and Muslims.

We can rightfully celebrate these not-superficial trends. Imagine the limitless possibilities, for example,  as more and more get involved, get creative, and get the word out that Muslims are the next-door neighbor, the colleague at work, the student in the next seat, the person sitting beside you on the bus. Lena Khan, a 23-year-old woman wanted to present Muslims as relatable, down-to-earth people and so she produced and  directed a short video, “A Land Called Paradise,” and placed it on YouTube. To date it has garnered over 500,000 hits and won a $20,000 prize in a contest to produce videos that challenge Muslim stereotypes.

An example of an unexpected collaboration is the story of Suzy Ismail, a Visiting Professor at DeVry University and author of a number of books for Muslims. Her article in this issue, Blogging Our Way Towards Understanding,  describes her journey from a mindset of exclusion — “By secluding ourselves with only same-faith, like-minded individuals, we had unwittingly cut ourselves off from interacting with those people who we could ‘invite to all that is good,’ from engaging in any form of relationship that would allow for sincere and open dialogue and discourse about faith” — to one that does not shy away from differences, a mindset which gave birth to a blog with fellow author Suzi Ryan, a devout Christian. Their aim is to share their thoughts with others and plant seeds of understanding.

We, as Muslims, can create expressions of outreach as varied as the individuals in “A Land Called Paradise.”  We can share our visions of a greater tomorrow, sowing tolerance and genuine caring about the welfare of others. We can influence and be influenced as we ride the social media wave toward the shore. There, walking beyond the popular culture’s shifting sands of style and celebrity and superficial trend, further on past demagoguery and wealth elitism, we find solid ground where we can be active builders of a common good. Social media networking is just one tool, but an important one, in that human project.

So how does this antipathy impact America? Yale professor Eliyahu Stern has observed: “The crusade against shariah undermines American democracy, ignores our country’s successful history of religious tolerance and assimilation, and creates a dangerous divide between America and its fastest-growing religious minority” (Don’t Fear Islamic Law in America, NY Times, September 2, 2011). Unfortunately, such voices of reason and moderation are too often drowned out by the raucous belligerents spreading their propaganda. So more and more might come to believe that practicing Muslims cannot be loyal Americans even though a recent Pew Research Center poll has found that Muslim Americans exhibit the highest level of integration among major American religious groups. And, notably, Muslim respondents expressed a greater degree of tolerance toward people of other faiths than did Protestants, Catholics, or Jews.

Who is feeding the Islamophobia in America? The Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank, conducted a six-month long study and has released a report entitled Fear Inc., The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America. Their research has found that the anti-shariah campaign is basically comprised of five interlocking elements. The first is the funding source: only seven contributors have given nearly $43million to anti-Muslim organizations and think tanks in the past decade. The second constituent part is played by five Islam-bashing scholars and policy experts and their organizations that act as the central nervous system responsible for producing and conveying the fictitious memes and fear-mongering talking points about Muslims and Islam. The Fear Inc. report says that Frank Gaffney’s neoconservative think tank, Center for Security Policy, has used its financial clout to misdefine shariah as the dominant totalitarian threat to America. Wajahat Ali, one of the Fear Inc. researchers, has rightly observed: “No religious Muslim scholar, let alone a practicing layman, would recognize this definition of Sharia, which, in reality, deals primarily with personal religious observances, including practices such as charitable giving, prayer, and honoring one’s parents, with precepts virtually identical to those of Christianity and Judaism.” The third interlocking element in the anti-shariah campaign is the religious right, and the fourth is comprised of the media enablers: “The mainstreaming of this fringe, extremist rhetoric is aided by media allies in network TV (Fox News), radio (Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck), online magazines (World Net Daily, Front Page Magazine) and the Islamophobia blogosphere (Jihad Watch), which give Islamophobe talking-heads an influential pulpit to broadcast their misinformation,” explains Wajahat Ali. The fifth category involves political players like Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, and their ilk.

While every individual is entitled to speak his/her mind, we do well to recognize that promoting the banning of shariah would be like promoting the banning of halakha (Jewish law) or cannon law (Christian law) observed by practicing American Jews and Christians respectively. More importantly, the anti-shariah campaign foments a hostile environment that can only stymie the growth of American Muslim inclination and readiness to integrate and contribute to a pluralistic and tolerant American narrative.

Denying Muslims’ constitutionally-granted right to practice their religion prompts Tariq Ramadan to pose the salient question: “Why is it today that when the Muslims are asking the same rights as others, they are perceived as not truly Americans?” Indeed, the anti-shariah exponents don’t have any answer to this question.

We must stand firm and speak out to counter the anti-shariah vitriol, remind its supporters to abide by the American constitution and promote the pluralistic values and vision of the American founding fathers.

Sure, there has hardly been a time in history when hunger has not touched humanity. The question is how we can and should deal with the current alarming situation—a situation that is no less than a calamity. Given that many factors cause and contribute to famine and hunger, dealing with them is undoubtedly a daunting task. The problem becomes even more insurmountable when the hungry are trapped in systemic, silent and severe poverty.

Hunger is a ‘silent epidemic’ that is very seldom addressed in our society with utmost care, urgency or seriousness. It’s almost like a slow poisoning, where the symptoms don’t appear serious, but death is inevitable. In our society, when poor people don’t have any money or means to buy (or get) food, they are unable to nourish themselves. Persistent food insecurity thus causes tremendous health damage to both kids and adults. .As they are constantly malnourished, the adults become weaker and often sick and because of this they become unable to work which then makes them even poorer and hungrier. Studies show how this downward spiral often continues until death visits these ill-fated people.

In the sight of God, harshness, carelessness or even insensitivity to the suffering of the poor, helpless and hungry is tantamount to denying the religion and the Day of Judgment

Our war against hunger, therefore, needs to be not only stronger, but also humane, effective and comprehensive. We shouldn’t forget that the current hunger situation exposes the ugly face of our societal injustices and corrupt practices. While there is no denying that numerous organizations, agencies and individuals are working sincerely to address the challenge of hunger, it is also true that our sadist mentality of letting people suffer is much more dominant than our efforts to help people out of this hellhole. “Greed is good” is still the guiding mantra and obsession for many of us. Even when we want to take any new initiative to address hunger, we think repeating rhetoric will suffice. This is actually a sign of our insensitivity, if not insanity!

It’s time that we look at our own lifestyles dispassionately and determine if we are positioned to perpetuate hunger or committed to eradicate it. We can’t deny the gravity of the situation, our responsibility and our ultimate reality. One may ask: what is that reality? The Qur’an tells us, as do almost all the religious scriptures in one way or another: Does the human being think that no one has power over him because he has at his disposal enormous amount of material wealth? Does the human being think that no one sees him?(90:5-7) In another place of the Qur’an, God Almighty warns us: But you prefer the life of this world, although the Hereafter is better and everlasting. (87:16-17)

Sometimes people think that prayer and performance of certain religious duties will suffice for them to earn the pleasure of God. Some also believe that fighting hunger is the duty of the government alone, not theirs. But these are mistaken views, for in the sight of God, harshness, carelessness or even insensitivity to the suffering of the poor, helpless and hungry is tantamount to denying the religion and the Day of Judgment. In the Qur’an, Allah (SWT) says: “Have you observed the person who belies the religion and denies the Judgment? That is the person who repulses the orphan without care or consideration and does not concern himself nor encourages others to feed the hungry and help the needy.”(107:1-3) In Surah Al-Mudathir, a moving scene from the Day of Judgment has been presented in which the righteous people in their heavenly gardens ask the disbelievers and liars, who are encompassed by the fires of Hell, the reasons for their punishment. They are told that among the reasons are “neglecting the rights of the poor, letting the hapless people get afflicted by hunger, lack of clothing and suffering, and turning faces away from this suffering humanity.”

Hunger is a test for those who are inflicted by this calamity, but it’s a bigger test for those who have wealth and yet they are not helping those who suffer. To attain the grace of God, we have to be God conscious, remember our accountability to Him and be compassionate to His creation. He is indeed our Lord and to Him is our return. That is our ultimate reality!

In numerous places in the Quran, Allah (swt) has reminded us about our responsibility toward the less fortunate people: In Surah al Ma’un, Allah (swt) declares that harshness to the orphan and neglect of the poor are signs of disbelief and denial of the Day of Judgment. In Surah al Muddathir, one of the earliest revelations of the Quran, a moving scene from the Day of Judgment has been presented: The righteous people in their Heavenly Gardens ask the disbelievers and liars whom the fires of Hell encompass what were the reasons for the latter’s punishment. Among the reasons, they will be told, were neglecting the rights of the poor, letting these hapless people be afflicted by hunger, lack of clothing and suffering, and turning faces away from this suffering humanity. In Surah al Fajr, Allah (swt) calls the people of ignorance who claim to have a religion that brings them close to Allah: “No indeed! You do not treat the orphans with respect nor do you urge one another the feeding of the poor, and you devour the whole of inheritance greedily, and you love the wealth with all your hearts” (Al-Quran, 89:17-20).

When someone suffers from any calamity, it’s a test from God not only for that individual, but also for others who are capable of alleviating the suffering of the afflicted person

What these verses of the Quran inform us is that at the core of Islamic teaching is empathy and compassion towards those who are less fortunate. Piety and charity are actually two defining characteristics of an Islamic personality. While they are mentioned separately, they are not isolated from each other, but closely linked. More importantly, piety or righteousness, according to Islam, cannot be attained by ignoring charity: “You cannot attain to righteousness unless you spend (in charity) out of what you love” (Al-Quran, 3:92). In a Hadith Qudsi, the Prophet (pbuh) warned his followers that Allah (swt) will make people accountable for the suffering of the poor, unclothed, destitute, and the sick, especially if the former remain indifferent to the situation of the latter.

According to another Hadith, the Prophet (pbuh) said, “The one who removes the suffering of a believer from the sufferings of this world, Allah will relieve him from his sufferings on the Day of Resurrection. And the one who paves way for someone who is insolvent, Allah will make things easy for him in the Hereafter…..” (Muslim: Hadith no. 38/2699).

Indeed, the moral edifice of Islam is based upon two things: i) “Haququllah” (the rights of God) and ii) “Haququl Ibad” (the rights of God’s creation). The foremost Right of Allah (swt) upon His servants is that they will not worship anyone or anything but Allah (swt) who is their Creator, Master, and Sustainer. While elaborating the second point, Imam Ibn Rajab has said, “Human beings are obligated to give thanks to Allah every single day for His blessings on them by performing acts of virtue and charity on a daily basis. Among such acts that we ought to perform are those deeds or actions whose benefits extend to others. These include all acts of benevolence and compassion, helping those in distress or need, treating others compassionately, rendering acts of kindness towards them, protecting them against harm or injury, as well as any act of kindness towards each and every creature of God.” The Islamic guidance thus encourages Muslims to help people in need, be they good or bad, on the right path or not, Muslims or non-Muslims. It implies, apart from the removal of handicaps, the recognition of the right that every human being has to attain the fullness of life.

We must reflect upon this guidance and develop a culture of compassion, mercy, fellow-feeling, love, and solidarity in our midst. Should we do this, we would be able to free our society from the shackle of greed, miserliness, hunger, helplessness, sorrow, and suffering. There is no denying that every conscientious mind envisions and longs for such a society.