The month of Ramadan is one in which, as well as our spirits drawing closer to God in worship, our hearts grow closer to our fellow human beings through the feeling of hunger and fatigue, and through our supplications for them by night. As the month has drawn on, our hearts have been filled with grief and hurt about the situation of oppressed and persecuted communities, particularly Muslim ones, throughout the world.
Whether the ongoing oppression of the Uighurs in China, the ongoing and needless devastating famine in Yemen, the continuing plight of the displaced Rohingyas, the brutalised Syrians, or those in developing countries being overwhelmed by COVID-19, it is both right and natural to feel a deep sense of empathy and compassion for their suffering, as well as a burning desire to somehow rectify their circumstances. This is the definition of raḥma (mercy), and we are the Community of the Mercy to all creation (peace and blessings upon him).
The latest news about the dreadful events at Al-Aqsa, Jerusalem, Palestine and now Gaza: yet more Palestinians being forced from their homes, thousands of worshippers being assaulted by the Israeli army during prayer on the most holy nights of the year in one of our most sacred places, have served as a grim capstone to this feeling. Many Muslims, from the relative comfort and safety of our lives in the UK, feel increasingly helpless about what we can do to assist our brothers and sisters – in Islam as well as in humanity – elsewhere in the world.
At present, it is not the role of the BBSI to put out statements or calls about events occurring beyond our borders, though many of our Council have done so in our personal and other organisational capacities. However, it is very much the role of this fellowship of scholars to provide guidance and theological leadership for the community in such circumstances. In recognition of this, we humbly offer up this guidance for constructively channelling the human feelings that we all experience for the suffering of our fellow human beings and believers into holistic action, at spiritual, physical and emotional levels.