By Anime Abdullah

Sep/Oct 2024

Did you hear about the seismic tremor of faith that shook the sands of Makkah as the tide of pilgrims across the world converged upon the Ka‘ba in June 2024? 

The scorching sun, exceeding 122°F (50°C) from June 14-19, was overshadowed by millions of Muslims thrumming in unison and demonstrating submission to God, humility, and unity — Islam’s true essence. The death of over 1,300 from heatstroke and dehydration, and the heat-related illnesses of thousands more (Aya Batrawy, www.npr.org, June 23) couldn’t deter them. The Saudi host’s inadequate accommodations, transportation, or even drinking water (Zahra Fatima and BBC World Service, www.bbc.com, June 22) couldn’t prevent them from responding to Islam’s call. Only a minuscule 8% received the needed care (Magdy Samaan, www.cnn.com, June 25), which confirms these pilgrims’ unwavering faith.

However, beneath their radiant display of peace were those who exploited them. Given that the pilgrims aren’t too vocal about such things, every year the unscrupulous prioritize profit over piety. This has gradually eroded the hajj’s sanctity, with creeping commercialization peaking this year, albeit ambivalently portrayed.

Unregistered Pilgrims: An Obvious Outcome of Nusuk Frustration 

Shirking responsibility, Saudi authorities sweepingly attributed 80% of the hajj fatalities to “unregistered” pilgrims (Vivian Nereim and Emad Mekay, New York Times, June 24), who didn’t register via the problematical Nusuk —  a centralized web platform (https://hajj.nusuk.sa/) launched in 2021 by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. 

However, Western pilgrims still had to handle visas, hotels, air tickets, and evident troubleshooting through Nusuk, all without human assistance. This tedious and overwhelming digital odyssey also increased prices (ranging from $13,000 to $20,000 per head), required deposits months in advance (even before packages were available), and provided no guarantee of completion. If this registration process fails at any step, even due to Nusuk’s fault, a 1.5% refund fee and a 45-day waiting period apply. Moreover, Nusuk’s proffered autonomy unintentionally hinders the hajj spirit — the connection forged through shared experiences.

These are merely the procedural problems of the current 11-step registration process; technical issues aside. Logins work only when the system wills. Picking a package is more like pulling teeth. Verification delays or e-wallet dilemmas are not user-friendly, and the payment option is an act of faith itself. The demands on time, tolerance, and tech-savviness, along with the paramount uncertainty, are enough to make a saint swear or, in this case, seek alternative routes.

Promising “alternative” streamlined processes, dozens of hajj agencies rushed to rescue this year’s pilgrims. They undercut the Nusuk prices, but dangled the carrot of tourist or business visas (legality? Shhh, don’t mention it!). 

Many of these agencies have provided affordable and reliable services for decades, and their promised convenience was very tempting. They guaranteed no pesky registration, verification woes, package or flight selection hassles, and, most importantly, no “pre-paying months in advance without any certainty” nonsense. Who wouldn’t jump at that oasis? 

Over 325,000 unregistered pilgrims were expelled (Adil Faouzi, www.moroccoworldnews.com, June 10), and other thousands, if not a million, pilgrims continued without registering with Nusuk. Many, including myself, succumbed to the illusion, not knowing those promises were a desert mirage shimmering with cool water. 

      The unresolved Nusuk issues and the substantial number of unregistered pilgrims underscore the prevalent frustration and escalating demand for reliable alternatives. The proliferation of alternative agencies, further misled by the insiders within the Hajj ministry, is a direct consequence that I witnessed firsthand.

Extent of Suffering and Uncertainty of Unregistered Pilgrims  

The anticipation of a trouble-free hajj quickly turned into a chilling fear of human trafficking as I was put on a backroad to Makkah and forced to cross the desert corridor on foot. Promises of a streamlined experience were replaced by constant anxiety and uncertainty. Many pilgrims couldn’t even make it to Makkah and returned home (Christian Peña, www.yahoo.com, July 1). 

Upon reaching Makkah, I clutched my Nusuk permit, the golden registration ticket. Unaware of its illegitimacy, I eagerly prepared for Mina. Lacking legitimate permission, my U.S.-based agency merged with a South Asian hajj group, whose tent was already overcrowded. So, we huddled outside under the blistering sun, desperately seeking the shade that wasn’t there. To my surprise, a security guard spotted me, informing me that my Nusuk permit was useless. Expelled from the tent, I wandered around Mina like a lost soul in a spiritual Disneyland.

Unfamiliar with Mina’s premises, I contacted my group leader. Bless his frantic heart, he offered dubious advice: avoid security, catch a bus in the middle of the night to Arafat, and pray for the best. Like a drowning man grasping at a straw, I did so, only to bounce among Arafah tents like a game of leapfrog with security. Exhausted, sunbaked, and barely coherent, I spent the Day of Arafat muttering supplications under the relentless, blazing sun. 

As we prepared to leave for Muzdalifah at sunset, there was no transportation. After waiting six hours — until 2:00 a.m. — we landed on a purgatory bus ride, praying for divine intervention to reach Muzdalifah in time for the maghrib and isha prayers. Nothing happened. We barely made it to fajr and offered make-up prayers for maghrib and isha. 

Already sleepless and drained for the past two days, we began the arduous trek to the Jamarat, a relentless 4-6 miles. Like a churning mass of humanity teetering on the edge of a stampede, the first round of stoning left me dehydrated, disheveled, and missing a sandal. 

Yet the ordeal wasn’t over. No transportation awaited, forcing another 3-4 mile trek back to Makkah on foot. Although several Nusuk service centers were visible from Muzdalifa or Mina to Jamarat, none were found from Jamarat to Makkah; not even drinking water. 

No official permit to return to Mina obliged me to find refuge in my hotel for the remaining stoning rituals. While Islam offers leniency in dire situations, my predicaments stemmed from the agency’s illegal acts, which fostered a false sense of security until the final minutes. 

These are just tidbits, and such realities don’t belittle the hajj’s sanctity. However, the humiliation, deception, and constant betrayal forced a touch of dark humor into my experience. It serves as a cautionary tale for future pilgrims as well as a plea to hajj officials to acknowledge the pilgrims’ rising desperation. 

The Unnoticed Shift toward Commercialization and Commodification 

Beneath this year’s surface grief due to deaths and tragedies lingers a somber shadow in the Muslim collective memory, a gradual shift that’s transforming Islam’s spiritual cornerstone into a commercialized spectacle.

Historically, Makkah thrived as a commercial hub and pilgrims engaged in modest trade to offset their journey’s costs. But today, a starkly different narrative unfolds. The Saudi government and corporations have poured billions into erecting five-star hotels, opulent malls, and designer boutiques. In contrast, no significant visible efforts have been made to alleviate the pilgrims’ suffering in Arafah, Mina, Muzdalifa, or the Jamarat rituals — the pilgrimage’s most strenuous tenets — even for the Nusuk-registered ones. This tragic reality has slowly shifted the hajj’s focus from spiritual renewal to tourism, severing pilgrims’ deep-rooted connection to Islam and ceasing its spiritual essence. 

Luxury and convenience, and the growing focus on opulent accommodations, carefully curated packages, and modern amenities, have overtaken spirituality. Even tawaf, traditionally a moment of communing with God, is now often overshadowed by the urge to capture and share the experience. This disturbing trend reduces hajj to a mere commodity and Makkah to a meticulously crafted commercial product.

The responsibility rests on the pilgrims, due to their growing consumer demands, and the Saudi government, whose recent prioritization of hajj as a revenue stream next to oil (Abbas Al Lawati, www.cnn.com, July 6) overshadows its spiritual dynamics.

Nusuk, an enabler of pilgrims’ convenience, has indeed benefited many of them. However, it shouldn’t be constricting pilgrims. Its always-late release (2-3 months before hajj) causes unnecessary uncertainty. For example, pilgrims must spend sleepless nights to secure their desired packages and flights. Precious pre-hajj soul-searching moments are sacrificed to addressing logistics and amenities. Moreover, it ultimately defies the pilgrimage’s essence: detaching oneself from earthly entanglements to invest in godly endeavors.

The hajj is not isolated from daily religion or rituals that may require such grand tourist exposure, like luxury hotels. Rather, it’s the culmination of one’s achieved spiritual maturity. Leaving worldly affairs behind, hajj is a chance to reflect on one’s shortcomings with a promise to purge them and restore the highest connection with God so that one can return home with a pure and resolute heart like a newly born person. Current socio-cultural settings challenge such an essence of pilgrimage.

However, hope is still there. This trend of commercialization is just a few decades old. Traditionally, pilgrims were welcomed as “Guests of Allah,” with no mandatory packages or labeled groups. Their hearts still beat with reverence and longing for the Divine, waiting to flourish, as was evident during this year’s hajj. We must not allow the passage of time to erase that spiritual pulse of pilgrimage. Let the administration, religious authorities, and travel agencies work with each other to preserve the sanctity of Hajj in the sands of Saudi Arabia to avoid tension or tremor, and foster unity, piety, and a transformative experience for all pilgrims, as it has been for centuries.

Anime Abdullah is a freelance writer.

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By Sanaa Asif

Sep/Oct 2024

In this rat-race-like existence, Muslim women sometimes find it hard to balance work, family, and religion. More women are pursuing full-time careers after marriage and children. Yet the bulk of household duties still fall on them, a reality that leaves little time for uninterrupted worship. In addition, not all mosques have welcoming spaces for women and/or children. 

Thus the emergence of women-led Muslim community centers has been a welcome development. Two prime examples are the Rabata Cultural Center (www.rabata.org), which has a heavy online presence and an in-person center in Arden Hills, Minn. — about eight miles from the downtowns of Minneapolis and Saint Paul — and the Aisha Fatima Community Center (AFC; aishafatimacommunity.org), which offers in-person classes and social gatherings in Chicago’s suburb of Lombard. Both organizations aim to build and reinforce spiritual knowledge and community through deen-centered, female-focused learning and activities. 

“The inspiration for AFC basically came from the lack of Muslim women’s physical spaces, where we can interact and learn from female scholars, and also build community,” said co-founder Juwairiyah Kholwadia (founder, The Hijab Vault; https://thehijabvault.com/). Their main goal is to create a warm, welcoming and non-judgmental environment to integrate both the old and new communities of Chicago’s suburbs and provide a safe space for them to learn and grow together.

Rabata, from the Arabic words “to connect,” “form bonds of friendship,” and “composure”, had a similar starting point. Manager Michelle Sekusky describes how Anse Tamara Gray, EdD (founder, Rabata), an Islamic scholar, author, educator, and popular speaker, became inspired after noticing a void in women’s needs. “Education is really a key to positive cultural change, which is our vision and mission statement. It’s creating positive cultural change through creative educational experiences,” Sekusky said.

AFC started off with brainstorming sessions, involving input from women of various ages, backgrounds, and stages in life. They used the feedback to curate their programs. “We always knew that the core of AFC would focus on spirituality and religion, but we really wanted to incorporate and integrate discussions of taboo topics within the mental health field, the community health field, women’s wellness and health,” Kholwadia explains. 

For instance, in June they convened a session about the Islamic views on cosmetic procedures. In addition to faith and learning, they also host social events such as watercolor night, geometric design workshops, and tatreez classes to give women a chance to connect.

Rabata had a similar journey, evolving from a simple bookstore to a center for in-person and hybrid programs. Their academic wing, Ribaat, has dozens of courses, classes, certifications, and ijazahs to choose from. “We went from just having random events to now having multiple regular monthly events. We also offer childcare for women taking classes,” Sekusky added. Rabata’s very ethnically diverse all-women board of directors feels more representative of our ummah’s diversity than many other centers — even mosques. 

A Day Inside 

Each day brings new experiences. “Truthfully, no day looks the same, even if it’s the same event,” Kholwadia states. However, some days need to be split between events and administrative work. Their planning days are more of a mental workout during which they focus on program ideation, creation, marketing, and registration. They reach out to their team to find the right instructor or connect with others to collaborate. They like to plan events ahead of time. For instance, Ramadan planning begins roughly six months in advance. 

“We’re continuously looking for ways to improve and expand our offerings,” Kholwadia notes. “We welcome anyone who would like to join the AFC admin or volunteer team. We are actively looking for women with interest and knowledge of marketing, event planning, outreach, and fundraising.”

On the other hand, event days look very different. “On the day of an event, we’ll typically arrive 1 to 3 hours early. Volunteers help move tables, chairs, and even sofas to accommodate the crowds. AFC often provides refreshments and snacks during its events, which also need to be picked up. They also need to set up any technical equipment and other resources the presenter may need. 

“Most importantly, we’ll have people ready to greet every attendee as they walk in, so they have someone to connect with even if they came alone,” Kholwadia remarks. Throughout the event, the team continuously makes sure attendees are comfortable and have everything they need.

Successes and Obstacles

As female-focused community centers develop a wider audience and attract larger crowds, they also experience both successes and obstacles. A major obstacle both centers faced was increasing their staff base. Sekusky started managing Rabata in 2021. At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, much of its programs were online. But as the center continued to grow, many programs started becoming in-person. “In 2022 we grew so much at the Center that we were able to expand into the space next door. But as fast as we grew, we needed more people, right? Getting great staff always takes time,” Sekusky says. Rabata now also offers Rabateen classes for teenage girls and Dragonflies for 6–12-year-olds. 

AFC has similar struggles. While they love their volunteers, they also know it’s hard to expect them to commit to something long term. Another issue was that people were asking for virtual programs, even though at its core AFC was all about their physical space. “We really wanted women to come out and get to know each other and learn in person,” Kholwadia explains. While they stayed true to their mission and continued encouraging in-person attendance for events, AFC also started hosting some virtual events to expand their presence nationwide.

As both community centers have continued to grow, they have learned to adapt to their audience’s preferences. Sekusky says that the online Rabata Academic Institute (www.facebook.com/rabataribaat/) attracts a wide variety of people. “It’s a serious program to dive into Islamic studies, and the reason I think it’s attractive for most of the students is that online classes are recorded,” she states. Having the flexibility to watch a lesson at a more convenient time can be attractive to busy parents, college students, or working individuals. 

However, Sekusky also observes the appeal of in-person programs for others. “You find different crowds in different spaces — some people really need that social aspect; especially reverts need that family and bonding.” Overall, she sees value in both the online and in-person communities.

The AFC staff believes that the speaker plays a valuable role in attracting audiences. They have their regular speakers, to whom a lot of women have listened. Many attendees have a favorite speaker they connect with, and if they see her name they are quicker to register. “We really like to focus on the content of our events and want our attendees to feel a sense of personal development, but also [for them to] enjoy the space,” Kholwadia remarks. “Everybody loves food. Whenever we invite outside vendors with fancy bubble teas and coffee, it’s a hit. It’s great because we also get to support other small Muslim businesses within the community.” 

Rabata and AFC strive to make women feel welcome and seen, whether through their programs or their environment. “Our teachers have dedicated their lives to being ‘forever students’ and knowledgeable teachers. They have studied traditionally and from so many paths that you’re learning from a well-rounded female scholar who is knowledgeable in whatever field of Islam she’s teaching,” Sekusy says. The wide variety of programs covered through Rabata and the welcoming, humble teachers play an important role in helping Muslim women located all around the nation gain knowledge and community. 

Sanaa Asif, a senior at Hinsdale Central High School, is an avid reader and loves to learn and write about others and their experiences.

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By Mona Islam

Sep/Oct 2024

I can speak for the generation that grew up in the 80s and 90s, whose parents were immigrants from the East. Most of us went to public schools while our parents settled down, got us educated, and often scrambled to convince us of our Islamic identity, faith and practice. Some gave up upon arrival; others strove to pass them down via gatherings, books, clubs, and learning relevant languages. 

Our parents would struggle to form a sense of community and meet other Muslims they would not normally meet, all to preserve their faith in a clearly very attractive un-Islamic environment. These realities motivated them to build community centers, mosques, organizations, and Islamic schools, as well as to increase their own Islamic knowledge and teach it to their children. Falling in love with their deen, they dropped their cultural baggage and planted the seeds of taqwa (God consciousness) within themselves and their children. 

We, their children, were often the only Muslims at our public schools.  As minorities, we struggled to deal with the generational cultural gap, our parents’ academic expectations, and to hold onto our basic Islamic identity, faith, and practice. Among our dilemmas were Islamic attire, gender relations, intercultural marriage, and finding non-interest-bearing loans for major life purchases. 

We witnessed ethnocentric gaps in our mosques when Arabs and Pakistanis didn’t see eye to eye, women had no voice on any board, and youth were viewed as sources of anxiety to their parents. We watched our mosques and schools struggle to lay the groundwork, pay the bills and hire qualified and competent personnel. We witnessed everything from mosque politics to racial discrimination. 

Finally, after years of dedication and effort, our communities started getting it right. Mosque spaces became more inclusive, fair and welcoming, treating both converts and indigenous Muslims with equal respect. Women gained a voice and position in traditionally male dominated religious spaces, and youth work was seen as valid and worthwhile. During the next phase, we saw more integration with mainstream society due to their increasing awareness of our civic responsibilities and understanding of how government and politics affect us. 

The 9/11 tragedy provided a re-entrance for Muslims into the American landscape. “Mosque Open Houses” sprang up across the country. Da‘wah and outreach were at an all-time high. News of conversions and removal of barriers with non-Muslims filled the air. 

As our generation embraced parenthood in the early 2000s, there was a notable rise in the demand for full-time Islamic education. This transition compelled us to reaffirm our commitment to nurturing faith and Islamic values in our own offspring. Concurrently, initiatives to foster creativity saw the emergence of vibrant youth groups, media platforms, and Islamic schools among them. 

Recognizing the significance of preserving our predecessors’ institutions made us acutely aware of the pressing need for Islamic schools and community centers. As our population expanded and the era of social media dawned, we encountered unforeseen challenges, such as religious and ethical dilemmas stemming from social media and advancing technology. We had new terrain to navigate.

Despite electing the first African American president and the Black Lives Matter movement, widespread discussions about racial injustice and police brutality continued, beckoning Muslims to take an ethical stand. COVID-19 abruptly displaced us from our once-familiar seats, reshaping the landscape of our lives in unexpected ways. 

As we strengthened our faith, our separation from congregational activities to youth group activities and Islamic conventions and camps, forced us to find new ways to fill the void of community support. We rediscovered ways of learning, connecting, and experiencing our deen. Our determination to preserve what we could force us to design online conventions, seminars, and classes. Online opportunities invited teachers, students, and peers to meet those whom otherwise we would never have met.  When social distancing finally left us, we resumed our activities with newfound appreciation, only to be tested once again with global tragedies that tested what we are made of. 

Our Greatest Anchors

As Muslim Americans move forward, our greatest anchor lies in the timeless guidance of the Quran and Sunnah. The greatest lesson the past few decades have reminded us of the depth and relevance of Islam’s truth. The more questions fill the air, the answer is always the same: Go back to the deen, the authentic sources, and the examples of the Messengers, and you will never go wrong. 

Among the many things to consider in this regard are the following. 

• Believing in the two authentic sources. “We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination” (2:285).  As a child, I recall the deep reverence our parents’ generation held for them. However, this adherence, especially to the Sunnah, seems to have waned over time, particularly among my generation. It’s disheartening to see how worldly pursuits have led to their neglect of the Sunnah’s guidance. This is a major dilemma for our community.

Have they perhaps forgotten the repeated statement that “There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of God an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers God often” (33:21)? We must strive to rekindle our reverence for the Quran and Sunnah so we can navigate the complexities of contemporary life with confidence and guidance. Failing to do so puts our faith and identity at risk, which could cause us to lose our spiritual foundation.

• Reviving Islamic etiquette in family dynamics. One of our greatest losses exists in our family values and family roles: The once tight-knit fabric of familial relationships has unraveled. During my upbringing, these bonds of trust ran deep and were nurtured with care. Mentorship flourished, fostering a sense of belonging and security that shaped our identities. Reflecting on the past, I remember when extended family couches were familiar sanctuaries for after-school naps, and their kitchens extended an open invitation. 

However, today these once-vibrant relationships have dwindled into mere shadows of their former selves, replaced by a noticeable distance and sense of estrangement. The younger generation has noticed this, for they bear the brunt of its impact and yearn for the connection and guidance that family should provide. The resulting void in their lives deprives them of invaluable guidance and support and, in addition, impacts their sense of identity and belonging.

• Engaging ethically with the world. We need to strike a balance between preserving and strengthening our identity while striving to establish justice and make meaningful contributions to mainstream society. Reflecting on the experiences of previous generations, we find that neither extreme isolation nor complete assimilation are recommended solutions.

To cultivate and rejuvenate our roots, we have to educate ourselves and our children. By deeply understanding our faith, its teachings, and its rich history, we can foster a sense of pride and belonging. We must continue to build strong communities to support ourselves and reinforce a shared identity. Engaging with mainstream society through interfaith dialogues, community service, and professional collaborations enables us to share our values and perspectives while enriching our own experiences. Another remedy is balancing modernity and tradition. Harmonizing traditional values with modern realities ensures that our faith remains relevant and dynamic. 

We’re inspired by the example of Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), whose commitment to ethical conduct and the pursuit of justice uplifted the darkest corners of society. We can emulate him in this regard by advocating for the marginalized and justice, opposing discrimination and oppression, addressing systemic inequalities, and ensuring that everyone is treated with dignity and respect. We must also strive to emulate the Prophet’s leadership style, which was characterized by humility, selflessness, and a genuine concern for his community’s well-being. 

Our Legacy

As my generation buries our elders and pioneers, the legacy we will leave for our children dominates our thoughts. Will they be assets on our scales, or will our deficiencies as parents cause us to face agony on Judgment Day?

On a broader scale, the future demands us to reflect: Are we fulfilling our potential as da‘is and standing for justice and fulfilling the rights of the oppressed? Is our devotion and worship increasing or waning compared to our elders?

Despite these pressing questions, our path forward should be clear: living our lives in a way that pleases God. This includes seeking and acquiring authentic knowledge, worshipping Him sincerely, following the Sunnah, reviving and strengthening our family relationships, and engaging with our communities as ethical and just contributors. 

Moreover, it’s our duty to leave behind a generation that will carry Islam’s vision forward and make this world a better place. By doing so, we can ensure that our legacy is one of faith, justice, and positive contribution, thereby fulfilling our responsibilities to both our Creator and our fellow human beings.

Mona Islam, EdD, a visiting faculty member at the Islamic Seminary of America, serves on the board of Rabata, the MultiCultural Center in Houston, and MAS Houston. She is actively engaged in the community on various fronts. 

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By the ISNA Green Initiative Team

Sep/Oct 2024

The barbaric and genocidal onslaught in Gaza, among the worst cases of slaughter and destruction in history, has been extensively covered in the media and Islamic Horizons. It now sits in the top quartile of the most devastating bombing campaigns, as evidenced by a group of satellite images taken from the U.S. space technology firm Maxar Technologies (Julia Frankel, Jan. 11, https://apnews.com/).

Environmental and Ecological Impact

The coastal territory’s orchards, strawberry fields, and sandy beaches that were once the Gazans’ pride are now a dehumanizing landscape of military bases, craters, and ruins. Two-thirds of the land in northern Gaza was agricultural, but not much of it is left. Israeli bulldozers have razed fields, destroyed centuries-old olive trees, and orchards to clear a buffer zone more than one-kilometer-wide (0.6-mile) inside Gaza along the northern border between Israel and Gaza. 

The army has built dikes and earthen mounds to protect its tanks and clear the view. In addition, 2,000 agricultural buildings have been razed — including 90% of all the northern districts’ greenhouses. 

According to a June 18 United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) report, the Gazan slaughter’s environmental impact has created unprecedented soil, water, and air pollution problems that have destroyed sanitation systems. Explosive weapons have generated some 39 million tons of debris. Each square meter of Gaza is now littered with more than 236 pounds of debris. The report also found that water, sanitation, and hygiene systems are now almost entirely defunct, because Gaza’s five wastewater treatment plants are no longer operational.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that 67% of Gaza’s water and sanitation system, poor at the best of times, has now been destroyed (Jon Donnison, June 21, www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd119dz515wo).

A study titled, “A Multitemporal Snapshot of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Israel-Gaza Conflict,” conducted by an international team of researchers and published on June 6, details the significant environmental impact of the ongoing genocide. Co-authored by Benjamin Neimark (senior lecturer, Queen Mary University, London) and Patrick Bigger (research director, the Climate and Community Project), it provides a comprehensive estimate of the ensuing enormous greenhouse gas emissions. This report says the additional emissions associated with rebuilding Gaza are projected to be higher than many countries’ annual emissions (www.researchgate.net/).

Environmental and ecological impact is among the immense problems that Palestine will have to deal with in the coming decades. The planet-warming emissions generated during the first two months of Israel’s genocidal campaign was greater than the annual carbon footprint of over 20 of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations. In addition to its water supplies and food security already being threatened by sea level rise, drought, and extreme heat, Israel’s indiscriminate bombing has rendered Gaza’s environmental situation catastrophic. 

During this and previous military campaigns, Israel has prioritized weaponizing water, gas, electricity, and other resources. It has also targeted the environment by destroying essential infrastructure. For instance, during the genocide’s first days, Israel limited Gaza’s water, electricity, and fuel supplies. As electricity and fuel are essential for water pumps and desalination, raw sewage continues to flow into the Mediterranean Sea (Zeinab Shuker, Dec. 19, 2023, www.tcf.org).

Besides the severely damaged public water supply systems, wastewater treatment facilities, and drainage networks, the toxic oil and other chemicals leaking from demolished plants into surface and groundwater has brought risks of soil erosion and triggering long-term health disasters, including sanitation crises and the spread of waterborne diseases. 

The rockets and missiles not only cause immediate humanitarian crises, but also have long-lasting hazardous impacts worldwide. Specifically, toxic residues, including those from metals, plastic, and electronic waste, heavily contaminate the soil with widespread pollution. As a result, local agricultural areas will suffer from desertification, soil erosion, and land degradation. 

Since 1967, Israel’s military actions have induced the uprooting of over 2.5 million trees — more than one million of which were olive trees — an essential source of income in the region. This ongoing destruction of native trees and crops has worsened the habitat fragmentation of local species and accelerated biodiversity loss and desertification. 

Heavy bombardment has not only decreased the amount of human habitat, but has also increased air pollution, as toxic and hazardous compounds are released into the environment from burning buildings and industrial facilities. Green spaces and agricultural land have also been heavily damaged. The generational and other profound health effects in children are unknown. The same goes for how exposure to toxic chemicals affects pregnant women. 

Ana Rule, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health told Grist.com, “These microparticles can be kicked up by footfall or vehicles or lofted to other places on the wind” (https://www.scientificamerican.com, Jan. 29). Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to climate solutions and a just future.

Inhaling silica, a key ingredient in cement and glass, also increases the risk of cancer. The long-term projections of cancer and pulmonary diseases will not be known for some time. These typically have lag times. For cancer, it’s 20 to 40 years, a period that could be accelerated by repeat exposures. Intensive bombing, demolition, and damage to multistory buildings has spread huge amounts of cement particles and other particulates over both Israel and Egypt. These will be inhaled by people and deposited on farmland, with as-yet long term and unknown dire consequences.

The Future

Air and water pollution, as well as soil contamination, have no geopolitical boundaries and thus also affect global natural resources and ecosystems for generations. Therefore, recognizing the urgency of environmental preservation and ecological responsibility even amid warfare is crucial. 

Forty public health scientists have called for an immediate cessation to the violence. The authors have drawn attention to the urgent need to rebuild Gaza’s health care system and restore the physical and human infrastructures that make a livable environment possible and promote human health and well-being (Environmental Health, June 28). 

In addition, these individuals say that environmental remediation should form one of the most important parts of international effort to assist reconstruction, through which it is hoped lasting peace could be achieved. Health and sustainable development are among the accepted international human rights obligations. 

They have also urged that the global community support Gaza and the Palestinians in its post-war recovery and reconstruction, including the rebuilding of the health system, the remediation of environmental pollution arising from Israel’s extensive use of weaponry, and the implementation of population-wide mental health programs to address the current, future, and intergenerational effects of trauma.

Sadly, the quieting of the bombs and guns will merely mark the end of one chapter of Gaza’s suffering. Once this genocide ends, the UN and the international community must find a way to launch and scale up reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. Such a collective commitment to post-war environmental restoration will contribute to a sustainable and resilient future by rebuilding the linkage of global well-being and environmental governance.

In Palestine, there will be a special need for investment in water storage facilities, both for domestic consumption and agricultural use. Ecosystems will require additional protection, because saltwater will likely push into coastal aquifers. Endemic species are now under threat (Israel and Palestine are part of the Mediterranean Basin biodiversity hotspot, https://tcf.org/). The Mediterranean Basin hotspot is home to about 515 million inhabitants, 33% of whom live on the coasts. But Gaza’s in a weaker position than ever before for providing any of these protections. Any lasting peace in Gaza must go beyond a ceasefire and political solution, difficult as the latter may be to attain. Peace will also require environmental justice.

Given that climate change doesn’t recognize borders and political arrangements, Israel will also experience environmental degradation. For instance, Ashkelon (originally al-Majḍal), a mere eight miles from Tel Aviv (originally Yafa), one of Israel’s desalination plants has been shut down several times during the past few years due to pollution from Gaza. As the genocide will increase the amount of pollution in Gaza, Israel’s water security will also be jeopardized. Without enabling the Palestinians to protect their own environment, Israel cannot protect itself from a cross-border environmental disaster.

The current movement among universities to divest from those companies that produce these armaments and supplies to Israel is encouraging. We, as supporters of peace and justice for the Palestinians and other oppressed people, should raise our voices against production and profiting from such destructive armaments. A sovereign Palestinian state must be established as soon as possible so that its people can live with dignity, honor, and peace. But this can only be achieved if the U.S. becomes an honest broker. For a lasting peace to hold, environmental justice must be part of any solution.

ISNA Green Initiative Team members include Saffet Catovic, Nana Firman, Uzma Mirza, and Saiyid Masroor Shah (chair)

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By Zanah Ghalawanji

Mar/Apr 2024

In a shocking violation of anti-discrimination laws, Montgomery County (Md.) public school teacher Hajur El-Haggan faced immediate leave and investigation for sharing the Palestinian slogan, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Her non-Muslim colleagues who shared similar speech have not been disciplined. This incident is emblematic of a troubling trend where American employees supporting Palestinian freedom are harshly reprimanded. 

Over the past three months, civil rights organizations like CAIR have received numerous complaints of employer retaliation against those speaking out on the Israeli government’s genocide in Gaza. CAIR headquarters has seen a 20-fold increase in calls involving professional repercussions for political speech. The backlash is “unprecedented,” says Zainab Chaudry, director of CAIR’s Maryland office. 

During this period, employees have witnessed a stark reality of limited speech rights, with institutions in the U.S. disregarding anti-discrimination laws and free speech protections. Despite the U.S. priding itself on valuing freedom of expression, American employers target pro-Palestinian employees through disproportionate enforcement of workplace policies, strict limitations on private speech and the weaponization of fear-mongering tactics. 

Anne Arundel County (Md.) special education teacher Saera Suhail also found herself a target of employer investigations into violations of rarely enforced policies. She was accused of violating email policies after opposing the county’s biased curriculum on the Gaza crisis. The school’s principal claimed that Suhail sent an unapproved email to staff when she responded to the county’s email. The selective enforcement of policies reveals a pattern of discrimination against Muslim teachers of color. Other public-school teachers in Montgomery County were accused of antisemitism, placed on leave and investigated for sharing political commentary on Facebook. 

Other Professions Too

This discrimination extends beyond schools. An Ohio Muslima beauty technician was terminated by the salon’s Jewish owner after she shared posts highlighting the current situation in Gaza. The owner claimed that she violated the salon’s social media policy, despite having reportedly posting herself an Instagram story that referred to what appeared to be Palestinians as “sick animals.” 

Even government employees, theoretically protected by the First Amendment, face investigations for pro-Palestine posts on personal social media. A government attorney was publicly doxed and threatened by pro-Israel advocates and placed under investigation for sharing an Instagram reel that debunked myths surrounding the crisis. Despite her speech being protected by the First Amendment, Republican lawmakers are pressuring her employer to terminate her. 

Pro-Israel groups like the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) and the Anti-Defamation League are exerting pressure behind the scenes to have employers fire individuals who openly support Palestine. 

In the cases of the Montgomery County teachers, the JCRC issued a statement alleging that they had been placed on administrative leave for sharing “antisemitic images and messages on their social media accounts.” It supported the county’s removal of them. According to its website, one of JCRC’s “four pillars” is Israel Advocacy. 

The strategy of condemning pro-Palestinian views as antisemitic is further reinforced by political resolutions. The Republican-controlled House passed a resolution equating anti zionism with antisemitism, contributing even more to the chilling effect on free expression. 

Employees critical of Israel face not only professional consequences, but also personal attacks, thereby creating an environment in which any such criticism risks causing permanent damage to one’s reputation. The weaponization of fear-mongering tactics extends to prohibiting pro-Palestinian clothing, reprimanding employees for cultural symbols and even suppressing Palestinian identity through dress codes. Palestinians have reported employer bans on keffiyehs, a traditional Palestinian scarf. The professional blowback has been lopsided, but workers who have made pro-Palestinian statements are bearing the brunt of it. 

CAIR is encouraging employees facing retaliation for speaking out to fill out and submit an online civil rights complaint form available at www.cair.com. We also encourage everyone to review our “Know Your Rights Materials” on www.islamophobia.org. 

Zanah Ghalawanji, Esq., is CAIR’s staff attorney.

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By Yvonne Maffei

Mar/Apr 2024

It can feel so ironic: Ramadan is an incredible opportunity to zone in on what’s most important now and to our afterlife, a time to deepen our connection with God and spend less time on worldly desires. Yet it seems a common phenomenon to spend more time shopping for food, cooking, and entertaining. This emphasis on food leaves us with no real quality time for the intended purpose of fasting: to increase our acts of worship.  

Fasting is meant to aid in that process by affording us this vast open space of time so that we are free for ‘ibada via such methods as reading more Quran, doing more dhikr, increasing acts of charity and offering extra prayers. However, we can easily end up focusing a bit too much on food preparation and planning entertainment like large iftar gatherings. 

Although sharing iftar is a wonderful way to stay connected socially and gain the good deeds of feeding our fellow fasters, there are some important ways to maximize our time in order to derive many benefits from this holy month. With some planning, we can also reduce the stress and overwhelming feelings that creep in by packing too many unnecessary things in a day and over the course of the month. 

If you don’t want to be slaving in the kitchen for hours upon hours this Ramadan, yet you want to create delicious and nutritious iftar and suhoor dishes, here are a few of my best suggestions to accomplish just that.

Quality Over Quantity

There is a common saying among great chefs: “You’re only as good as the quality of your ingredients.” Essentially, you really can’t produce great food with low-quality products. I would also add that, more importantly, the food’s quality determines its nutritional value. Choosing the most nutrient-dense foods will provide a power punch of vitamins and minerals to your diet — and you don’t need to consume a large amount to receive that nutrition. 

To get those foods, seek out quality, chemical-free ingredients grown in nutrient-rich soil at local farmers markets, organic foods from your local grocer and seasonal and local products from your local food co-operative. Doing so will usually provide a vast increase in your food’s nutritional value than conventionally grown food that has been sprayed with insecticides and pesticides and shipped around the world and across the country to get to your plate. So much of its nutritional value is lost during this process. If you want to be really satisfied when you eat, choose quality over quantity. In addition, you’ll be choosing better health. In this case, less can be more. 

Simplicity is Key

There’s really no need to slave over a stove for hours just to put a healthy meal on the table. Some of the best, most flavorful ingredients require minimal processing. When you choose seasonal and local produce, you don’t have to do much to it. In fact, it’s preferable not to add anything extra, for you want to taste the vegetables and fruits and the good meats and fish you’ve brought home, not drown them in flavors and sauces that mask their true essence. 

That simplicity brings out their full flavor, satisfies the senses and develops the palette for the taste of real food. Imagine a sun-ripened summer tomato — at most all it needs is a tiny bit of sea salt and a drizzle of good-quality olive oil. Once you’ve tried this, you’ll never want an out-of-season tomato drowning in a sauce that masks its lack of freshness. 

Put Family Favorites on Repeat

Who says you must have 30 days of different dishes in Ramadan? One of the most efficient ways to keep things simple and reduce your overall stress about cooking and serving healthy meals during this month is to list, cook and put your family favorites on repeat. 

Of course, this list needs to be made well before the month starts. But you can brainstorm your favorites, match them up with what’s in season and plan your shopping. Think practically about how these dishes will work. Are they super time-consuming, for example? Prep ahead of time or think about how they can be simplified to achieve maximum success in making things simpler and tastier. 

Sample Meal and Ingredient Suggestions for a Spring Ramadan

Salads are a great dish to consume in the spring because of the nice variety of cold-weather crops like arugula, spinach, red leaf and Romaine lettuce varieties. Utilize all the fresh and in-season leafy green vegetable options, as well as beets, carrots and cucumbers. Add a touch of sumac for a citrus flavor and a very good olive oil for its anti-inflammatory properties. 

Another vegetable variety that packs a power punch and is widely available in spring is the vast array of mushrooms. When cooked well, mushrooms can almost make you think you’re eating meat. They’re hearty and earthy, and you can find inexpensive varieties like the Cremini mushroom, which is such a perfect and delicious option. Sauté them in a mixture of olive oil and butter and add only salt, pepper and fresh or dried parsley. This can be a meal in and of itself, as well as a side dish or addition to rice or pasta. 

Alternatively, you can make a more delicate dish like Risotto with Asparagus and Green Peas — two wonderfully fragrant and light spring vegetables that pair lovely with fish but can also be a meal on its own. 

Even meat has a season and, during the spring it’s spring lamb that will be freshly available, especially if you can source it from a local farm. For large gatherings, roast a leg of lamb. For smaller gatherings, make a lovely rack of lamb with date sauce or oven-roasted lamb chops with just a few added seasonings and fresh or dried herbs like thyme and oregano. 

For early morning suhoor meals, keep fresh seasonal fruits like raspberries and blueberries on hand so they can be juiced or made into yogurt parfaits or smoothies. 

Desserts don’t have to be complicated, either. Add some melted chocolate, chopped pistachio and coconut to some of those dates you’ll surely have on hand, pop them in the freezer and in just an hour or so you’ll have a chewy, creamy dessert that took less than five minutes to prepare. 

To sum up, find the best ingredients and keep the recipes simple to maximize your time and effort. This will also help maximize the flavor and nutritional value of the meals you serve. 

Yvonne Maffei, MA, is a food and travel writer, independent researcher, cookbook author and entrepreneur. She is the founder of MyHalalKitchen.com, the first website on halal food and cooking. Her mission is to make global cuisine halal and spread the concept of culinary diplomacy as a means of bringing everyone to the table. Her cookbooks include “My Halal Kitchen” (2016) and “Summer Ramadan Cooking” (2013). She divides her time between the U.S. and Canada — and anywhere else she can travel around the world.

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By Sundus Abrar

Jan/Feb 2024

“Shame on you.” 

“She was my inspiration.”

“Tears started falling and I really loved you.” 

These are some of the emotionally charged comments that remain on an Instagram post of a Muslim influencer when she decided to stop wearing the hijab. Despite her very public presence on Instagram, she has opted to not clarify her reasons for doing so. Subsequent requests from Islamic Horizons for an interview were not answered. A’s identity is not the central concern in this discussion, but the turbulent reaction to her personal decision needs to be explored to understand how the actions of public individuals impact the broader Muslim community. 

Interviews referenced here were conducted prior to the ongoing and devastating siege in Palestine which has resulted in a rise in Islamophobic rhetoric and hate crimes affecting “visible” Muslims in North America. As the mainstream media continues to peddle a familiar bias narrative, many are beginning to question its validity. Social media, despite the persistent attempts of censorship on it, serves as a key access point to portraying the realities of oppressed populations. 

Muslims have consistently been vilified in mainstream media. This has far-reaching and tragic outcomes when Muslims are targeted in acts of hate and harassment. Presenting as visibly Muslim, an experience shared by women who wear the hijab, can be difficult in such unbalanced settings. Social media offers relative safe spaces for these women to connect and build resilience to overcome the challenges they encounter in their immediate environments. 

Leaving the Hijab

Before she stopped wearing hijab, A used her presence online to share different hijab styles and modest dressing. She also offered services as a hijab stylist which led to the launch of her hijab line. In a 2014 interview, published on a Muslim blog, she shared insight about when she started wearing hijab at age 11. “I wore it by choice because I had the right influence around me.” This positive influence was what many of A’s followers were seeking to aid them in their own hijab journeys. 

Like A, several other influencers have recently stopped wearing hijab. Two other women also marketed hijabs and modest fashion lines. They were vocal in their choice to wear hijab when they were maintaining this choice but did not discuss their reasons for why they stopped. Their dismissiveness only led to more questioning and frustration from their followers. 

People feel betrayed and disappointed when the unspoken expectations they have of influencers and public figures they admire are not met. These feelings are not unwarranted. A deeply resonating message, or niche, on social media, evokes an emotional response in followers which results in increased content engagement. This is the very currency for prominence and success on social media. An emotionally invested following online can often nly be sustained through an influencer’s consistency in messaging.

Do Influencers then have any responsibility to maintain this trust and be consistent in their personal choice to wear hijab? 

Scholarly Advice

Dr. Tamara Gray, acclaimed religious scholar and founder of Rabata, a Minnesota-based nonprofit Islamic organization for women, is thoughtful and thorough in addressing this concern. 

With a considerable following on social media herself, she recognizes the challenges that come with heightened prominence for influencers.  “The early companions didn’t want to be leaders because they knew this was hard, and I am going to have to put even more of my nafs aside,” said Gray. “Being in the limelight is really hard because now you have to make decisions that are not only about yourself but are also about those that are following you.” 

She uses the example of an account she follows which shares vintage fabric designs. Should this influencer change the focus of their content, the impact on their followers would likely not be deeply distressing. The same does not hold true if an influencer is using their platform to promote religion. They need to be more mindful and consistent. 

“Losing religion publicly can be a great sin,” said Gray. “It’s serious because it’s not only about you anymore. If what you did caused other people to struggle – if you put yourself out there as an influencer and you benefited from it and you set that aside – that’s not responsible.” 

Influencers are being watched in their personal settings, such as their homes and cars. Followers may develop a sense of closeness through these observations. The experience for the influencer though is very different. He or she does not have the same level of familiarity with her observers. “We need to be intentional and understand that we are creating relationships,” said Dr Gray. 

 Though followers may be upset about an influencer’s decision, Gray encourages thoughtful conduct in our engagement online.

“You are not fixing things by lashing out at someone. That is not the Islamic way.  You are just making sin for yourself. We need adab and akhlaq in interactions with people no matter who they are,” she said. 

Holding each other accountable is important for Muslims, but accusatory comments are not beneficial. Influencers who are consistent in wearing their hijab are also met with harsh comments.

Maintaining the Hijab

Tahirah Folk, New York native, model, and influencer, has often received unkind and accusatory comments online. As an African American she shares her experience with racism within the Muslim community, “The only place I felt I truly belonged as a Muslim was when I went for Umrah.” She addresses the criticism she has experienced about her approach to hijab in a Tiktok (@sincerelytahiry) post: “People who I will never allow to come for my hijab” went viral. The responses to it are polarizing. While some argue that women should be receptive to criticism, many women who wear hijab wholly endorsed the boundaries Folk asserts. “To give naseeha (advice) you have to be involved in the emotional wellbeing of the person,” Folk said. 

 Online, Folk has connected with her community celebrating Black Muslim women, and she is aware of the potential her prominence brings. “I have always been very intentional once I saw that I was getting a platform. I knew I wanted to represent a community that is often overlooked,” she stated. 

Upholding this concern, she called attention to a recent incident of exclusionary marketing. During New York Fashion Week. Veiled Collection, a popular brand for Muslim modest fashion, invited prominent Muslim modest fashion influencers to represent their brand. The concern was a glaring lack of diversity. Most influencers were light or fair-skinned. Folk’s view was echoed, and the complaint gained traction.  Veiled Collection finally offered a statement acknowledging their shortcoming in reflecting the diversity of Muslim women.

Though no actual changes were made to the event, the swift recourse inspired @everyblackmuslimgirl, an online community for Black Muslim to host EBMG Fest. This took place a few weeks after Veiled Fest and invited Black Muslim influencers and brands to showcase their products. It proved that collaboration opportunities through social media can amplify social issues and expedite solutions. 

Influencer and modest stylist, Hakeemah Cummings (@hakeemahcmb) shared Folk’s post criticizing Veiled Fest. She too has faced criticism online. She understands that there should be accountability, but she won’t respond to accusations or answer questions she feels she is not equipped to address. “The comment section is not a place to bully. If you are seeking a question, you should be asking a scholar. I am far from that.”

Real vs. Reel Friends

Cummings feels secure in her hijab and actively produces content to guide others on how to adhere to it, but she still relies on her sister’s opinion to ensure her content aligns with Islamic values. “There is really no one online who knows and loves me the way she does. I know that she will push back when I am getting self-absorbed and losing myself in whatever the trends are,” she added. She encourages women seeking support in their faith and hijab journeys to navigate online spaces thoughtfully and seek friendships in real life. “Have that one friend who you can call when you are struggling with your faith,” Cummings said. 

Social media platforms aim to increase engagement. More engagement yields more revenue. To achieve this, social media platforms employ a tool called the algorithm which ensures that users see content most like that which they engaged with the most. To manage this tool to the benefit of the user, Cummings recommends engaging and seeking out content that serves a person’s aspirations. 

She advises a break from social media for those that feel overcome with negative emotions. “It is emotionally taxing if the content you see online is constantly bringing you up and down.” 

Starting the Hijab

With every influencer who takes off the hijab, there are more who start wearing it. Dr. Areeba Adnan, a Toronto, Canada influencer and psychologist is one such example. Her platform @mintcandydesigns initially highlighted her DIY home projects, but now she shares more of her efforts in furthering her understanding of Islam. 

Adnan also teaches the “Influencer Blueprint,” an online course for aspiring digital creators.  “I feel a sense of moral responsibility to the eyes that are watching me. I feel it’s my responsibility to define my values and stay true to them.” 

Nevertheless, she emphasizes the limitations of the influencer culture. “There is an important distinction to be made- you may be influenced by people online, but they are simply people that you watch.”

Adnan has been open about her hijab struggle. Before she became an influencer, she had worn the hijab for five years. “I felt I wasn’t a good Muslim, and I am going to stop wearing hijab and focus more on learning about other aspects of my faith. That didn’t happen. It took me 12 years to come back to learning more about my faith and to wearing hijab again.” 

She advises women considering wearing the hijab or struggling to keep wearing it, to take time in assessing their concerns and persevere.  “It is important to really reflect and do the internal work, and it is important who we surround ourselves with in real life to help us understand why we wear hijab, “she said. 

“Good suhba (companionship) is essential to progress in our faith,” said Dr. Gray. “It’s not something that we have yet figured out how to entirely achieve online.” 

Sundus Abrar, an undergraduate degree in professional writing, aspires to generate dialog around current concerns within the Muslim community. 

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By Sundus Abrar 

Jan/Feb 2024

Protests calling for a ceasefire in Palestine are drawing increasing and diverse attendees. As Israeli attacks on Gaza continue with complete disregard for civilians and international law, Palestinians remain committed to broadcasting the atrocities inflicted upon them on social media. For Palestinian journalists, this task of accurately documenting the genocide takes precedence over their own personal safety.

According to The Washington Post (Nov. 14), “At least 42 members of the media have been killed in the Israel-Gaza war since Oct. 7, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, making this past month the deadliest for journalists since it started gathering data in 1992.”

Despite social media censorship and the mainstream media’s blatant efforts to suppress and discredit the content coming out of Gaza, the images and videos of the violence being inflicted upon Palestinians are circulating pervasively. A harrowing narrative is emerging, and the dire conditions are difficult to process. 

Some parents, out of concern for their young children’s emotional well-being, may decide not to share everything about these events. However, Fatmah Muhammad, a Palestinian-American residing in California, strongly encourages parents to involve and inform older children about advocating for the oppressed. “They think they are protecting their children, but who are these children going to be as grown adults? How is the ummah going to change if we are raising our youth to be complicit?” she asks. 

Muhammad grew up learning about Palestine through her parents, who were born and raised there. She participated in protests against Israel’s illegal occupation, but didn’t fully realize the extent of the occupation. When she first visited Palestine, aged 12, she came to an alarming awareness of the extreme restrictions they endure while living under constant surveillance and policing. Her children had a similar experience during their first trip in the summer of 2023. 

Her 10-year-old daughter Kareemah was distraught when their car was stopped at a checkpoint while driving to Ramallah. Israeli soldiers pointed guns at them as they searched the car, before letting them go upon realizing that they were American citizens. “We told our cousins about what happened, and they told us this is the norm. We were so terrified,” shares Kareemah. 

Muhammad’s children feel a sense of privilege compared to their family in Palestine. “When I go there, I get treated nice. I feel that I don’t deserve to go there. I can move around and go places. We can leave checkpoints, but Palestinians who live there can’t go everywhere,” shares 12-year-old Zakariyah. Some people born in Palestine are even prevented from visiting the al-Aqsa Mosque. This imbalance is what propels Muhammad’s children to actively advocate for Palestinians. 

Non-Palestinian Activists

“I don’t care if they become doctors, engineers or whatever they want to become. That’s secondary to me,” said Syed Rahman, an artist and parent of two in Chicago. “My primary concern is that I want them to be leaders in the ummah.”

Rahman, whose family originates from Hyderabad, India, is also profoundly aware of his privilege. Living as expats in Saudi Arabia, his parents couldn’t discuss politics openly or protest. Rahman is grateful for his parents’ efforts to immigrate to the U.S. “They struggled so I don’t have to.” 

A dedicated philanthropist, Rahman is also founder of the popular small business @ModernWallArt, which sells unique Islamic art. Having garnered a significant audience on the business’s social media account, he utilizes his reach to raise awareness and fundraise. Through the contributions from his online and immediate community, he has raised over $1 million for Human Concern International (HCI) for aid in Gaza. 

In collaboration with Jannah Circle, a Muslim women’s nonprofit, on Nov. 4 Rahman hosted an impromptu charity bazaar in his warehouse space in Skokie, Ill. Participating vendors donated all or at least part of their proceeds. Though the event coincided with the largest protest in Washington, D.C., it still drew over 500 attendees and raised $20,000. 

Rahman and his wife Mehreen Bukhari are keen on educating their daughter Ilyana, 6, about Palestine. Bukhari is forthcoming in her unwavering efforts to advocate for Palestinians, “I boycotted Starbucks before and then stopped. I would go to protests, but then when the ceasefire was announced I’d stop following up.” These fluctuations fuel her urgency in involving youth in activism. “I didn’t learn about it growing up. It’s only now that I am in my 30s that I am more aware and able to advocate for oppressed people. We can’t delay any change the next generation can bring.” She believes that their charity bazaar provided an opportunity for young kids to also learn about the situation in Palestine. 

Diversified Activism

In addition, Muhammad has diversified her activism while continuing to participate in protests. She has an immense following on her social media @KnafehQueens, where she markets her business that sells knafeh, a famous Palestinian dessert. On her Instagram account, she has sought to inform her followers and engage those who are new to the cause.

“I am trying to bring up the cause to people at different levels of awareness. Not everyone can talk politics,” says Muhammad. “By taking a public stance, I have lost some customers, but I trust in Allah.” She has encountered abuse and threats online, but remains firm in doing all that she can to raise awareness. “People have told me you should be careful. But this is my duty.” 

Her daughter Rheyanah, 17, is also engaging the community by organizing protests, fundraisers and qiyams. Muhammad cautions her daughter to find a balance between her academics, but is also immensely reassured by her children’s dedication. “It gives me hope. Israelis have said over and over that the kids will forget about Palestine, but Allah wants it in our hearts because there is so much beautiful history [there]. It’s a blessed land, and I hope to see that my kids are in it till the end.”

Like many others, she too draws her motivation from the Palestinians who, while living under the grueling conditions of oppression, continue to be resilient and retain their spirit of hospitality and kindness. She shares the welcome her family received during their trip to Palestine. “How they lead their lives every day is beautiful. The ones who have the least will give you the most,” she said. 

More people are gaining awareness of the severe oppression Palestinians have been living under for the past 75 years. The diversity at protests and the increased conversations online are a reassuring indicator of this. Every parent knows how much to share with each child, but there has to be some level of awareness in all Muslim children. Several parenting blogs and authors like Noor Kids have shared simple ways of explaining the occupation to young children. They don’t need to see graphic, violent images, but they do need to be aware. As parents living comfortable lives thousands of miles away, this is the least we can do.

Sundus Abrar, an undergraduate degree in professional writing, aspires to generate dialog around current concerns within the Muslim community.

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By Monia Mazigh

Jan/Feb 2024

Following the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush waged a war on Afghanistan. To build and strengthen his military coalition, Bush convinced his allies that his “war on terror” was “also a fight for the rights and dignity of women,” as his wife Laura Bush explicitly mentioned in a radio address to the nation (The Washington Post, eMediaMillWorks, Nov. 17, 2001). It didn’t take long until his administration released report after report describing the Afghan women’s fate under the Taliban. Issues ranging from women’s access to health care to girls denied education to the restriction of women’s freedom of movement were all denounced and explained at length as valid reasons to go for war and destroy a land and its inhabitants.

Many feminists’ voices joined the chorus cheering for this “legitimate” war. A war that liberated Muslimas from their men, described in the media as savage and barbaric. The voices of Afghan women were dismissed. After all, what do they know about their rights and feminism? Can we really give a voice to women living among barbaric and savage men? Can the words of these women suffering from “Stockholm Syndrome” be taken seriously?

I remember vividly awkward conversations with progressive feminist friends who wanted to believe that this unjust war was going to liberate women. My religious affiliation, the same one shared by many Afghan women, made me de facto a delegitimize voice on the issue, a person brainwashed by my faith. I believed the fate of Afghan women would be better if left alone with no war. No matter how many times I repeated that those women are smarter than we think and don’t need others to save them, I felt ignored.

But I wasn’t the only one. Professor Lila Abu-Lughod famously asked in her article, turned into a book, “Do Muslim Women Need Saving?” (Harvard University Press: 2013).

The role of some feminists in amplifying the call for war, thereby lending it legitimacy and support, was very problematic. When it came to Muslima women, everyone became a feminist and wanted to prove their moral superiority by demanding that Afghan women be saved even when many were killed during military operations; even when their fathers, husbands and relatives were killed by drones: even when bombs, malnourishment and disease killed their children. 

For many of these feminists, the cost of the war was worth the liberation of Afghan women. Afghan women mattered to them only as a way to justify the war by serving, reluctantly, as pawns to advance white feminist theories and enhance the careers of politicians caught up in their visions of geopolitical domination and hegemony.

The Plight of Palestinian Women

As the violent war between Israel and Hamas — which should be reframed as a long struggle of the Palestinian people to stay on their land confiscated by Israeli colonizers and settlers — escalates, the fate of Palestinian women, who, with their children, bear most of the cost and damages, is completely not part of the radar of many feminists.

Despite some strong feminist voices who aren’t intimidated, like the American philosopher and gender studies scholar Judith Butler, who stated that a “genocide is taking place” with indiscriminate bombing, killing and starvation, many other intellectuals and feminists are silent (George Yancy, truthout.org, Oct. 31). What is worse is sometimes they are justifying the on-going massacre, as if the fate of 52,000 pregnant Palestinians in Gaza doesn’t matter (“Pregnant Women Suffer Gaza War” CNN, Oct. 17), as if the statistic of 1 child killed every 10 minutes is meaningless (“Israel Strikes Gaza, Children Victims,” Washington Post, Nov. 2).

Ironically, on its website the Government of Canada states the following: “Canada is a member of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Group for Every Woman Every Child. We support the roll out of the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health. This will ensure that all women, children and adolescents can survive, thrive, and reach their full potential” (https://www.international.gc.ca/)

How can these commitments and policies be coherent with Canada’s failure to demand, at the very least, a ceasefire? How about the $Can 3.5 billion the country spent between 2015-20 to improve the health and rights of women and children worldwide (“Canada’s 10-Year Commitment to Global Health and Rights,” https://www.international.gc.ca/)? 

Are Gaza’s women concerned by these funds or because of their mere existence in a territory of 2.2 million people that, within 28 days has lived through the equivalence of a nuclear bomb (“Israel Hit Gaza Strip with the Equivalent of Two Nuclear Bombs,” https://euromedmonitor.org) make them a legitimate target excluded from the feminist policy about which Canada boasts?

Or are we feminist only when the Other is oppressed by their fellow Muslims? But when Israel, a nuclear power, wages a war against Hamas, our feminist policy becomes invisible, inaudible and non-existent and the fate of Palestinian women is left to their God.

Did we forget that in 2014, Ottawa made reducing maternal, newborn and child mortality as the centerpiece of its international development policy? At that time, an international summit called “Saving Every Woman, Every Child Within Arm’s Reach,” attracted specialists and public figures, including then-UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; Margaret Chan, then director-general of WHO; and Melinda Gates, co-chair of the then-Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (https: www.canada.ca, April 2014).

But the country quickly forgot its previous commitments to Palestinian women, leaving them to have c-sections without anesthesia and under cellphone lights (https://jezebel.com/). Stories of them taking pills to delay their period for lack of privacy, lack of access to clean water and sanitary products are as common as they are worrisome for their health side effects (“No Privacy No Water Gaza Women Use Period Delaying Pills Amid War”, Oct. 31, 2023, https://www.aljazeera.com).

As for their children’s education, the enthusiasm and tremendous support shown by some of our intellectuals and politicians when it came to calling for war against the Taliban to allow girls to attend school is non-existent today, when we learn that 4,000+ children have been killed so far in Gaza by Israeli bombardment and that most of the schools run by UNRWA have become shelters for families who either have lost or are afraid to stay in their homes. Needless to say, Gaza’s children are receiving no education because bombs continue to kill them or be dropped on their heads.

Why such selective enthusiasm and feminism and girls’ rights? Why such hypocrisy in defending our principles? A few weeks ago, Adania Shibli, a Palestinian author who shares her time between Berlin and Jerusalem and was about to be receive the Frankfurt book fair’s LiBeraturpreis 2023 award for her “Minor Detail,” was “shut-off” (“Palestinian Voices Shut Down at Frankfurt Book Fair Say Authors,” Oct. 15, 2023, https://www.theguardian.com). As if Israel and its allies, including Canada, are punishing all Palestinian women for speaking out and raising men who would one day be potentially recruited by Hamas. As if Palestinian women aren’t women. As if Palestinian children do not deserve to live.

Monia Mazigh, PhD, an academic, author, and human rights activist, is an adjunct professor at Carleton University (Ontario). She has published “Hope and Despair: My Struggle to Free My Husband, Maher Arar” (2008) and three novels, “Mirrors and Mirages” (2015), “Hope Has Two Daughters” (2017) and “Farida” (2020), which won the 2021 Ottawa Book Award prize for French-language fiction. She has recently published an essay/memoir “Gendered Islamophobia: My Journey with a Scar(f)” nominated for the Governor General Literary Non-fiction Award.

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By Emin Poljarević

Jan/Feb 2024

More than a month into the genocide in Gaza, many readers now have access to countless narratives and stories from amateur journalists, social media influencers, survivors, refugees, medical staff, UN personnel and news anchors detailing the atrocities and mayhem of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the latter’s unyielding military assault. All of this is supported by thousands of firsthand accounts and statements from the Gazan authorities about the ensuing dreadful collective punishment and suffering of their people. One such witness was Dr. Hammam al-Louh, a medical doctor at Gaza City’s battered, besieged and breached Shifaa Hospital, who was tragically killed at the age of 36 on Nov. 13 while striving to save lives of sick and wounded Gaza residents. 

Representatives from international organizations such as UNWRA (The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East), the Red Crescent, Amnesty International, UNICEF, and Doctors Without Borders have provided additional information, insights and commentaries, all corroborating the numerous atrocities and war crimes committed by Israeli forces (www.truthaboutpalestine.com). 

Local and international media outlets such as Al-Jazeera are tirelessly reporting and recording the Gazans’ struggle for survival. Al-Jazeera analysts such as Marwan Bishara repeatedly contextualized the economic and political logic driving the ongoing massacre of innocent civilians by Israel and, by proxy, American war machines.

We can see how millions of morally outraged citizens worldwide demonstrate to push their various governments to stop the unyielding assault and blockade on what Jimmy Carter called the world’s largest “open-air prison.” We might think that these popular cries had some effect on the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) vote on the resolution to call for “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities.” In sum, 120 states voted in favor of it, 14 states (including the U.S.) opposed it and 44 abstained (https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/10/1142847). 

It all makes sense, and yet, at the same time, it doesn’t! It’s a mystery.

It makes no sense to hear how Ursula von der Leyen (president, European Commission) and Anthony Blinken (secretary of state, U.S.), together with other senior Euro-American officials justify, condone and support Israel’s unrestrained blockade, bombardment and assault of the densely populated Gaza Strip. It especially makes no sense to see and hear the different set of standards employed by the same leaders and media outlets in relation to the year-long Russian occupation of eastern Ukraine and the 75-year-long settler colonialism and apartheid in the Palestinian territories (www.btselem.org). Some other leaders, among them Gustavo Petro (president, Colombia) and Richard Boyd Barrett (Irish MP) simply call this apparent double-standard hypocrisy. 

It also makes no sense that Euro-American right- and some left-wing pundits, commentators and mainstream media outlets overwhelmingly view any criticism of Zionism and its political project as antisemitism; or that chants such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” are interpreted as calls for another holocaust; or that the BDS campaign has inherent antisemitic undertones (https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/is-anti-zionism-anti-semitism). These assumptions are as senseless as they are mysterious.

Why mysterious? 

There are numerous plausible and less plausible ways to answer this question. One way is to unpack how economic interests drive the ethnic cleansing and total annihilation of northern Gaza due to the discovery of energy deposits in Gaza’s waters, as posted by Victor Kattan (https://al-shabaka.org/; April 24, 2012); or that, according to Ari Rabinovitch and Nidal Al-Mughrabi (www.reuters.com/; Feb. 3, 2021), there are plans to build a long-distance pipeline close to northern Gaza border. 

Another way is to suggest the Zionist project has entered a new phase that demands driving out the remaining refugees to complete the original 1948 Nakba (The Catastrophe). Yet another way is to consider the Zionist argument of security concerns vis-à-vis Hamas-governed Gaza that require physical incursions to destroy any resistance infrastructure. Or a number of other ways. Or all of the above. 

Answering this question is of lesser importance in comparison to understanding some of this mystery’s key parts, namely, the evident Euro-American powers’ cynicism, moral disregard, double standards and indifference to the Arab and Muslim peoples’ immense suffering. 

One key part of this mystery is to probe the Euro-American supremacist mindset. Consider this: During his Oct. 13, 2022 speech, Josep Borrell (high representative for foreign affairs and security policy) informed the European Diplomatic Academy that “Europe is a garden. We have built a garden. Everything works […] Most of the rest of the world is a jungle, and the jungle could invade the garden. The gardeners should take care of it, but they will not protect the garden by building walls. A nice small garden surrounded by high walls in order to prevent the jungle from coming in is not going to be a solution. Because the jungle has a strong growth capacity, and the wall will never be high enough in order to protect the garden” (www.eeas.europa.eu; enter 14.10.2022). 

This revealing statement provides a glimpse into a version of Europe’s 21st-century colonial mindset — a mindset that translates into chauvinistic attitudes, policies and geopolitics. Perhaps, only perhaps, can our attempt to understand it explain some of this tangible Euro-American discrimination between conflict victims of European origin and those of Arab (or simply non-European) origin. The high level of Euro-American leaders’ moral outrage at the violence committed against Ukrainian and Israeli civilians versus the same leaders’ justification of civilian deaths on Gaza’s killing fields is astounding. After all, “Israel has the right to defend itself.” On what moral or material basis can anyone defend killing thousands upon thousands of children, women, and innocents? 

Moreover, consider the analogy of Israelis “mowing the lawn” used by some analysts to explain this latest attack, as recounted in Yousef Munayyer’s Oct. 10, 2023, article (www.slate.com). This dehumanizing analogy fits well with Borrell’s analogy of the European gardeners’ mission. In this case, these “gardeners” are Israeli Zionists. The major problem here is that this particular horticultural venture has evolved into what Craig Mokhiber (who resigned as director in the New York Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights), calls “a textbook case of genocide” of Palestinians in Gaza. 

The current Zionist “gardening” mission started long before Oct. 7. It began slowly in 1917 (the Balfour Declaration), picking up pace during the waves of terrorist attacks in the 1920s and 1930s, until 1948, when the Zionists carved out the early borders of a version of Borrell’s “European garden.” Another event happened the same year. On Dec. 9, the UNGA adopted the Convention on Genocide, a term coined by the Polish-Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin just four years earlier. According to the Convention, “genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.” Although this term was coined rather late in human history, it did exist much earlier. 

Some of the earliest calls for genocide can be found in the Old Testament, “Now go [King Saul], attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys” (1 Samuel 15:3). In this context, the reality of this verse’s fictionality is beside the point. The interesting part is that Netanyahu repeated its genocidal message, almost verbatim, in his televised address to the Israelis some 3,000 years later. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant made a similar call to his army — to mercilessly annihilate the “human animals” and “children of darkness” (i.e., the Palestinians). Several Israeli government officials have made similar statements.

At a minimum, such statements are declarations of genocidal intent, as noted by Nicole Narea and Sigal Samuel, in their Nov. 13 article “How to think through allegations of genocide in Gaza” (www.vox.com). And intent is the single most important criteria in legally establishing the case of genocide. This and other statements are at the center of three Palestinian organizations’ legal cases against Israel, submitted to the International Criminal Court on Nov. 8. The Palestinian human rights attorney and academic Noura Erekat is one of the experts involved (https://www.democracynow.org/2023/11/10/icc_lawsuit).

It seems that Zionism, as an extension of the “European garden” in historic Palestine, enjoys unconditional support from its Euro-American allies. The ideology has seemingly reached its apex. This is perhaps more evident in relation to the surrounding lands, where the shackled and helpless Arab and Muslim populations watch in horror at how their fellow brothers and sisters are being destroyed in real time. The evident impotence and/or unwillingness of the Arab Muslim leaders to act makes the Zionist project appear even more robust. 

This helplessness and impotence has allowed the Zionist garden’s numerous drudges and its collaborators outside Israel to uproot, mow, cut, and prune the “jungle” and erase the “human animals” outside its walls in order to clear the “wilderness” and presumably steal even more territory from its indigenous populations. Zionists have publicly stated that ultimately and explicitly they want to expand into Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and even Egypt (Sinai). In the end, it seems meaningless to resolve the mystery of Euro-American leadership’s indifference and moral bankruptcy regarding the Palestinians’ right to be human (www.cjpme.org/fs_236/). The only meaningful act is to resist the Israeli apartheid system of oppression and domination, its dehumanizing colonial enterprise, and the continuous Zionist humiliation and annihilation of Palestinians (www.alhaq.org, Report: “Israeli Apartheid: Tool of Zionist Settler Colonialism”).

Emin Poljarević is an associate professor of Islamic studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam.

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