What Is There To Celebrate?

What Is There To Celebrate?

By Umar Abdullah

Eid is a day of celebration… The question is what is there to celebrate?

How can one celebrate Eid when the Muslims of the 21st century hear that there has been an earthquake in Indonesia, Pakistan or a Tsunami along the borders of Asia but do not feel pained? When they hear of such atrocities or sufferings happening to their beloved Muslim brothers across the world there is no shared grief or significant compassion? Why is it that today when we hear that our Muslim brothers and sisters around the world are being tortured mercilessly, their land and possessions destroyed/occupied; their children are being killed/enslaved in poverty and human rights are being annihilated, that we feel no pain? Why do we allow our Muslim brothers and sisters to languish away in prison awaiting trial? Have we no care for them? Why do we waste so much food when we see images of our Muslim brothers and sisters and their children starving to death? Have we no conscience? 

While we are living and enjoying the comforts and luxuries of the 21st century, our brothers and sisters are being oppressed all around us. It has become such that we have become immune to hearing such afflictions. It has become such that we find it hard to shed even one tear.

My dear Muslims, whoever you are and wherever you are, have we forgotten the Hadith of Rasullullah(S)?

Rasullullah(S) giving an example of Muslim unity is reported to have said in a Hadith:

“The Muslim Ummah is like one body. If the eye is in pain then the whole body is in pain and if the head is in pain then the whole body is in pain”

So we the Muslim Ummah, whatever color, nationality or gender, wherever we are, are like this body. If we hear that any part of this Ummah is being oppressed, then we should feel this pain.

My dear Muslims, our oppressed brothers and sisters are crying out for help. They find that the Muslims of the 21st century are asleep and there is no one to help them. The reason why we the Muslims are collapsing is because we do not have any love amongst us. We harbor hatred for one another and our worldly matters and materialistic pursuits have taken over our lives.

 My eyes are filled with the horror of the images of mayhem and slaughter of my Muslim brothers and sisters all over the world; My heart is filled with the sorrow, pain and loss of my Muslim brothers and sisters in Palestine; I go into shock every time I think of my Starving brothers and sisters in Somalia; My limbs becomes weak on account of the genocide of the Muslim race; my fingers are tired of writing for my sisters who are being stripped of their dignity across the globe; my feet are swollen standing in solidarity with them; I tremble with fear when I think of my Muslim brothers and sisters in prison; I cry for the Mujahideen and the sacrifice and struggles they endure. How can I celebrate when all this is happening to me? I am in pain, I am in sorrow, I am suffering… There is no way I can celebrate… Sorry… 

Umar Abdullah: Head of Waajihatul Islaamiyyah (The Islamic Front); email: waajihatulislaamiyyah@gmail.com; Phone: 1 (868) 787-0765/365-6253; Fax: 1 (868) 631-8597

The Forgotten Nation and the Price People Pay to Be Recognized.

The Forgotten Nation and the Price People Pay to Be Recognized.

"Remember those walls I built well, baby they're tumbling down and they didn't even put up a fight, they didn't even make a sound" ...Beyonce Knowles, Halo


The worst earthquake to hit Haiti in over 200 years, measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale rocked the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince on Tuesday. This no doubt brings back memories of its difficult past. January 12 has been in the past able to attract the attention of the world on conditions within Haiti but never was this attention able to


impress upon the world the wanton suffering and total disregard to the human plight of basic necessities such as food, water, clothing, shelter, education and self governance - at least up until now.


For far too long the world has turned a blind eye to Haiti and now we see the hypocrisy of these nations coming forward to help. What wrong has Haiti done? One would ask; probably it is the sins of the people, the turning away from God's way (and by this I mean major sins); associating partners with God and punishable by an act such as this or a warning offering respite to those who would take heed, or could it be a trial and test for all of us to see how much we are willing to sacrifice for our ‘brothers and sisters’. However, most important is the fact that the world would once more focus its attention on this impoverished nation... a nation that has given so much to the world but which has received so little in return.


Haiti, having put Chicago, Illinois on the map and securing victory to the American colonial troops against the British in the Siege of Savannah was one of the most significant foreign contributions to the American Revolutionary War. In addition they were also instrumental in Latin America's struggle for independence from Spain, by offering military and financial assistance to Simon Bolivar, which were critical in enabling him to liberate New Granada (now Colombia), Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama and Peru. Also much appreciation must be given to Haiti's Diaspora which had made vital contributions to the establishment of Africa’s university professors, medical doctors, administrators and development specialists.


It’s very unfair to see Haiti suffer like this today. The best day in Haiti is like Katrina in America. So why has the world turned its back on Haiti? Is it that there is no material wealth in Haiti? – No oil, gas, gold or diamond? Or is it that she has outlived her purpose? Now that all whom she has helped as moved on, which nation in the world can even come close to her contribution to the political landscape that exists today?


Haiti’s contribution to the world came on the heels of years of transgression perpetrated against her by France and a 90 million gold Francs payout to same oppressor to recognize her independence, an amount equivalent to 21 billion U.S. dollars which must be repaid as restitution to Haiti. Would France now come forward and admit her guilt and repay the 21 billion dollars owed to Haiti? And apologise to her for the transgression perpetrated against her, or would the world stand still and see this injustice go unabated?


Another disparity was when Barack Obama pledged 30 billion dollars to the rough state of Israel over the next ten years in addition to over 3 Billion dollars in accessible loans. What has Israel ever done for this world? What have they ever done for America? Other than to help maim and destroy. They have committed more acts of terrorism against America than any other nation on the planet. America is aiding Israel with billions of dollars to kill innocent human beings; men, women, and children and to compound the injustice they are spending billions to fight two unjust wars killing innocent men, women and children, while they would stand by and do nothing and spend nothing in comparison to save one child in Haiti.


The world stands by and does nothing; that is the hypocrisy. They help now only out of shame and after all is forgotten, they will all return to their same old ways.


Also note worthy is the way we Trinbagonians behave. A lot is being said about how much we feel for our ‘brothers and sisters’ and how much we love them. Our prayers go out to the earthquake victims. What would be nice is if we can translate all that love into action; and instead of putting taxpayers' billions into frivolous and fraudulent enterprises, invest our wealth into a nation's health.


"Now s the time for each nation to make its 'halo' visible."



Umar Abdullah
Head of:
Waajihatul Islaamiyyah (The Islamic Front)
Tel: 1 (868) 787-0765/365-6253
Fax: 1 (868) 631-8597 (Please address to Umar Abdullah)
Email: waajihatulislaamiyyah@gmail.com