Tariq Ramadan – Chronicles of Ramadan #25 Victims

We talked about one side of

what we are dealing with when it comes

to injustices.

We talked about our relationship and to the

the way we have to deal with powers.

Now the other side is to deal with

victims of injustices.

And very often, as believers,

people of good

what we think we have to do when

it comes to victims is to show solidarity,

goodwill,

our heart, our generosity.

And this is all fine, but at the

same time, this is not enough.

And even at the heart of our spiritual

teaching,

what we have is to remember

that this zakat

comes first before a szedakah. A szedakah is

what you give out of your goodwill kind

of charity that you are giving to people.

Zakat has nothing to do with this. Zakat

is the right of the poor on your

money. It's a question of right. It's not

a question of,

goodwill.

It's It's a right that the poor,

the poor people have

on the money of the rich people.

Meaning that our understanding of the world when

it comes to the victims is not only

to think about in which way we are

going to please them, to help them, to

show solidarity

towards them in order to appease them in

the world. No. They have dignity,

meaning they have right, and they have legitimate

claims and demands that we have to respect

and that we have to

acknowledge as our fellow human beings.

And this is the way

where

we understand the the spiritual journey, the way

we deal our our fellow human beings. Because

they are our fellow human beings and they

have the same dignity as ourselves,

we have to deal with them in a

way where

we have to

challenge.

We have to repair

the system, the social system,

the power, and the discrimination

that they are facing within their society.

So it's not only, oh, in the name

of the victims, I show solidarity and charity.

In the name of victims, I have to

speak out. I have to denounce

the social system,

the real the reality of discriminations

and racism

within the society.

It's a question of right. It's not the

question of human solidarity

only.

Solidarity is good. But if it is at

the price

of rights and justice, there is something wrong

in our solidarity.

Because we are not helping the people

to get their rights.

They are comforting them in their situations

with no rights,

and that's not right. That's not the way.

That's not what Islam

is teaching us as believers in this world.

So if you want to repair

the world and to change

the status of the victims,

it's important for us to start with the

deep understanding of why Zakat is become is

coming first before a sadaqa.

The rights of the poor

in the name of their dignity

is requesting

and asking you

to deal with rights,

to deal with justice,

and then you will see with solidarity.

Don't forget to tell the people you love

that you love them. Life

is fragile.