Sister Faatimah on using our tongue wisely-

Muslims in every corner of the globe are faced with trying times. The recent onslaught upon the civilian population in Ghazza is having ripple effects in our communities here at home, in ways that are both unexpected and outdated. Some Muslims have been heard to say, “Why should we be worrying so much about what goes on in Sudan, Kashmir, and Palestine, Thailand, Philippines, and Afghanistan when there are so many Muslims suffering here?” Some of us feel that being too strongly critical of Israel’s action, which even the United Nations objects to, may make us appear anti-Semitic and worse. Our fears, I am sure we all can realize, pale besides the fear of those dying and being maimed today, and crossing a myriad of checkpoints just to get to the hospital. While we are at pains to convince the non-Muslim world of the compassion embodied in Islam, we fail to extend this compassion to our very own Muslim brethren. When we fail at compassion for our own, why would any non-Muslim believe that we really and truly feel compassion for those beyond the reach of the so-called magnificent Ummah?

To be sure, there are Muslims facing dire straits in the United States. We, in the wake of September 11, are faced with routine “random” searches at airports. Quite a few of us have been pulled off airplanes because maybe we carried a prayer rug that was rolled up the wrong way. We may have family back in our home countries who are faced with leaders who are leading nothing but chaos into villages and cities alike. And so, we may feel that because we can bear the suffering that has been placed upon our shoulders, so should our brothers and sisters in lands unknown. We fail to realize that while we expect an outpouring of pure, unadulterated support for the trials we face, we likewise owe the same level of support to the rest of our Ummah, and indeed to all human beings in suffering, regardless of the person’s faith.