Tariq Ramadan – Chronicles of Ramadan #25 Victims
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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.