Seventy Syrians. Seventy people. Seventy human beings who once laughed, talked, and were simply living their lives. Seventy people we mourn as they never had a fleeting chance to fight back against their oppressors. Seventy dead brothers and sisters. Seventy martyrs.
Inna lillah wa inna ilayhi raji’oon. (We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.)
We are all well-aware of what has occurred in Syria – an injustice of injustices.
As if the last six years was not filled with enough murders, we lost another seventy people, and this time they were victim to a treacherous gas attack. Poisonous green gas that fills your lungs until there is no more clean air to breathe, leading you to suffocate to death.
May Allah (SWT) provide strength for every single Syrian struggling to breath, not only amidst the poisonous gas, but against their own government. May He (SWT) provide every struggling soul with nothing but the highest level of Jannah. May He (SWT) bless their families and friends and give everyone sabr. May He (SWT) protect every one of our Syrian brothers and sisters against harm and pain. Ameen.
In a time like this, we may feel like we cannot do anything to help. But, in fact, there are some things that we can do. Paralysis is not an option for us when our brothers and sisters are shackled by oppressors. We cannot simply feel – we must DO.
1. Making dua is a critical first step, perhaps the most helpful. Allah (SWT) will never turn away from you when you ask Him for help. Make dua for Syria, for its inhabitants. For every dead man, woman, and child. For their families and friends. Pray for sabr. Pray for a stronger Ummah that can overcome any obstacle thrown in its direction. Pray for an ummah that fights back twice as hard against injustice and oppression that reminds us of the Pharaoh and the most horrendous oppressors from our history.
2. Next, see what you can do as a community. Creating awareness is so incredibly important. We’re upset and angered about this, but we must help others understand the reality of the murderous injustice that is occurring before our very eyes. Talk about these kinds of things on social media. Talk to your friends, your family, and your school. Contact your government representatives and ask them what they’re doing and how you can get involved, as a community, a school, or with your friends and family. Make the world care about what may be an inconvenient truth they refuse to face. Hold the world to account when they claim ‘Never Again’ and yet turn a blind eye.
3. There are also a number of charities working to help and provide aid for those in Syria that need our help. See what you can donate and check out these charities working on the ground in Syria: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/syria-donate-how-to-help
4. Lastly, make dua, again. Allah (SWT) will never turn us away when we ask Him for help.
May Allah (SWT) protect our brothers and sisters in Syria and create a safe environment for them. And may Allah (SWT) allow us – their brothers and sisters living in safety and security – to stand up NOW and demand change before we are asked on the Day of Judgement about our action or lack thereof. Ameen.
