MUSLIMS are not TERROISTS, they are OPPRESSED!

         As soon as I woke up this morning, I opened my nephew's Facebook account (mine has been deactivated) to check on the latest condition of my Muslims brothers and sisters in Syria and Burma. This has become a part of my daily routine, to check on the latest news on the disastrous state they are facing every day. I can’t help but feel bad and sad for them. I am a Muslim; I love my fellow Muslims no matter what happens. 

        The truth is I don’t have much knowledge as to what is the cause of these mass killings as I only have Facebook and Twitter as my source. I would not want to believe that they’re being killed because they are Muslims for there’s nothing hateful about being a Muslim. Islam - our religion - is such a beautiful religion. If only you know what’s inside the heart of a believing Muslim, you would surely want to become one of us by all means. 

       My sympathy goes to the Muslim people of Burma (Myanmar) and Syria and to the rest of the world who have been suffering the same fate. So I am going to share with you a brief article about the recent human massacre in Myanmar written by Muhammad Talha on 7, Jul 2012. 

      "Burma has a population 75 million with the Muslim population being just 0.7 million. The Burmese Muslims have been under this affliction after 1962 when the Army usurped the power in Burma. It all started on 3rd June 2012 when 11 innocent Muslims were killed by the Burmese Army and the Buddhist mobs after bringing them down from a bus. A vehement protest was carried out in the Muslim majority province of Arakan, but the Protestants fell victims to the tyranny of the mobs and the army. Trying to elude capture and an imminent killing; Burmese Muslims thronged to the Bangladeshi border, but all they met was dismay. The Government of Bangladesh refused to offer them asylum. Over 500 Muslim villages have been incinerated hither-to. Thousands have been exterminated. The persecution of the Burmese Muslims at the hands of the Buddhist mobs is at its full swing. Yet all the human rights organizations have maintained a criminal silence up till now. Has the Muslim world become so callous that they remain undeterred by such genocide? This is not a new thing or an unprecedented massacre. Muslims have been a subject to such hostility even before. If we go through the annals of history we come to the very tenable conclusion that Muslims were always on the suffering side. Islam is a religion of peace and harmony. It doesn’t allow its followers to lay-waste any other tenet. This leaves behind a big question mark. Why are the followers of such a peaceful religion being oppressed from time to time? The fear stricken faces of the poor Burmese Muslims really cuts one apart. The glimpse of their bruised bodies is a heart rending spectacle. Where is the UN now? Why isn’t the International media highlighting this issue? Why are the competitive authorities of the Muslim world procrastinating? Stop killing the Burmese Muslims. JI did a meritorious job by staging rallies against this brutality. The government of Pakistan should raise a voice in favor of the poor Burmese Muslims at the international forum. The whole Muslim world should join hands to get the poor Burmese out of their distress and misery. In lieu of launching into a tirade against the killings, something should be done on the ground. If we don’t help out our brothers there then we are equally responsible for their bloodshed. We won’t be able to satisfy our conscience, and the abrasive cries of the Burmese Muslims will keep on pinching us throughout our lives."(http://blogs.thenews.com.pk/blogs/2012/07/07/stop-killing-the-burmese-muslims/) 

         The silence of the UN and the international media is alarming and disturbing! This massacre was severe. Not only females and elderly people were killed for no reason, but also young children. What happens next is something I am afraid to know. Who will help them? I don’t know the answer! How are they now? I don’t know either! Every day, we see them suffer; we share the miserable photos of people crying and mourning for the loss of their families, friends and relatives. We can see their fear, their pain and their burden through their eyes! It’s crazy and frustrating, you know! The feeling of being unable to help your Muslims brothers and sisters! I’ve never felt so useless in my entire life. But what can I do? I am thousand miles away from them. My heart cries as I continue to scroll down and see more photos of dead bodies, tortured and killed like animals! Allahu Akhbar! Those Burmese and Syrian children who could have longer and happy lives had they not been slain by extremist  Buddhists and Bashar Assad’s men! 

        I know this conflict is clearly not only about the Muslims versus the Non-muslims, it’s also a combat between Muslims and its sect ‘Shia’, group of people who are responsible for the killing of the Syrian civilians, who claim themselves to be Muslims! Nay, they are bunch of morons and evils! I swear, as Allah is my witness, that they are just like others whose foremost purpose is to eradicate all Sunni Muslims!! Why? From my point of view, it’s because they know the truth and they are afraid to face the reality; the truth that there is only one religion, one God and Muhammad is His messenger. To the enemies of Islam, this is something they can hardly believe and accept. Because they have been deceiving themselves for a long time, blinded by worldly pleasures, and fooled by the western. 

        I want revenge! This was the first thing that came into my mind. I want to kill those shia kufar, those Buddhists and everyone who’s killing my brothers and sisters in Islam! However, I came to realize that I am not capable to perform such act for this is not what my religion has taught me. Allah abhors war, He hates violence! Allah only favors those who are patient and humble and faithful! My dear brothers and sisters, I may not be able to be there for you, to help you, to reach out for you, to give you food and shelter and safety. But I promise that you will always be in my prayers! Yes, prayers. The most powerful weapon we have against our enemies, against our oppressors! More powerful than their guns, bombs, and tanks! We have Allah subhanallah wa ta’ala, we fight for Him and He fights with us. ALLAHU AKHBAR!!! SUBHANALLAH! To end this, with pride and honor, I am going to say it again, Muslims Are Not Terrorists. I am a Muslim and I love peace. I that believe no matter whether these people were Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists or Christians — the killings should be stopped. Killing is not a solution to any crisis. Any human, regardless of his religion and rank would fight to death when oppressed. Because just like anybody else in this world, Muslims are human beings, we get hurt, and the more we get wounded, the more we become braver. So don’t oppress us and then call us terrorist when we fight for our freedom and right!

        I am a Muslimah and I am not a terrorist!!!

15th day of Ramadhan Mubarak 2012

         Assalamu alaykom everyone! Today is the 15th day of 

Ramadhan.  Ma shaa Allah time flies so fast! It was like yesterday when we had our first suhoor and iftar... Alhamdulillah every thing is doing well. :) 

        

        I remember I was just 5 or 6 years old when I started fasting, we were living in Manila then. My mom swore she never taught nor forced me to fast at my tender age. I was the one who voluntarily wakes up every morning to fast without being asked to. And If i don't get to wake up to eat during suhoor, according to my Mom, I would cry. Yes, I could still remember those days when my beloved granny would put milo on my glass  and I would gladly drink it believing that Iftar had come, but when I realized that none of them had eaten with me, I would cry out loud and blame myself for being stupid. Naaaah those were the days when you were young and afraid about the stories they told you about the end of the world. They were all true I knew but I think It was just so scary to think about it when you were so little.

        Yesterday night (Thursday) my hubby and I, together with my in-laws, went to attend an Islamic seminar at the town plaza right after the taraweeh prayer. Alhmdulillah were we the first people to arrive... (how nice it is to think that you get rewarded every time you accomplish something for your deen.) The speaker was about to start when I noticed that very few were there and most of which were younger ones, aged 15 and below. It maybe sad but it's true, very few Meranao Muslims were interested to be part of such mind-awakening activities. I remember when the celebration of 119th Araw ng Malabang, month of May, a basketball competition was held at the same venue, it was so full-packed you could hardly breathe, the seats were all occupied and everybody was shouting so hard I thought my ears would explode. Everyone was having fun, everyone was so eager to be part of such celebration, and I was there too, taking my part as a citizen of Malabang. I had fun too, I wouldn't deny that. But I never learned a single thing concerning my religion. And tonight when it was our chance to please Allah subhanallah wa ta'ala, when it was our time to listen to His words and the teachings of nabi Muhammad sallalahu alayhi wa sallam, we're aren't interested as we should be! Very few were there to lend their ears and heart!!! Astagfirullah, what an injustice!!! Ramadhan which comes only once a year, a chance to ask for mercy, forgiveness and freedom from hellfire are being taken for granted! 

        I remember our Imam that night who cried during our taraweeh pray. It broke my heart and made me cry. What was on my mind was that how could a man who is 100x more knowledgeable about Islam than me cry like that? My tears were unstoppable as I realized how small and weak my 'amal' is as a Muslim. I am nothing compared to that man yet he was so afraid of the day death will come and take him. And me? What kind of preparation have I prepared for that day?! When I will meet my Creator, Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful? I am too shy to tell my answer. Astagfirullah!!! But In sha Allah this Ramadhan will serve as my starting point to becoming a better Muslimah I should have been long before! (Allahumma Ameen)