Exclusive: My Experiences of Islamophobia in Post 7-7 Britain

Umm Ruqayya is a married mother of four. In this exclusive interview with al-istiqamah.com, she describes her experience of increasing hostilities directed towards Muslim women and children in post 7/7 Britain.

Umm Ruqayya: … it is often the women and children who have to bear this cost, as they are so easily distinct. Once I was on the way to post a letter with my children. My 8 year old daughter ran ahead. To a bystander it would have looked as though she were by herself.

Al-Istiqamah: Does she wear hijab?

Umm Ruqayya: She does. She had just started wearing it actually. Some men in a van – I noticed they were skinheads but I don’t know if that’s any correlation – they threw a piece of lead piping at her whilst their van was driving quite fast.

Al-Istiqamah: Subhanallah. Did it hit her?

Umm Ruqayya: It missed her, but had it hit her, that would have been a serious injury. I was so shocked that they would target a child because she was identifiable as a Muslim. I was shaking with anger and also fear for my child. I was just grateful to Allah that she hadn’t been hurt…

Read the full interview at www.al-istiqamah.com

The Aafia Siddiqui I Saw: by Abu Sabaya

“I want you to come to know of the concern and dedication that this simple woman had for Islam as described by those who knew her – a dedication that was manifested by way of actions that were very simple and easy, yet seldom carried out by those who are able.”

Read the full article at al-istiqamah.com

Poem: My Brother

12 miles away in a cell is my brother
24 hour confined hell for my brother
They try to separate me with fear from my brother
But things are not as they appear with my brother
They call him a terrorist, I call him my brother
Tell me why they had to go take my brother
Because he says his Lord is Allah and no other?
Was it because he cared enough to teach did my brother
Or was it the hearts he used to reach did my brother
Was it that he was different from the crowd is my brother
Was it that he is a Muslim that is proud is my brother
They say that he’s heartless, my brother?
When they have him sitting in the darkness, my brother
I ask Allah to pour out on him patience, my brother
2 years without trial he’s waited, my brother
12 miles away in a cell is my brother
Sensory deprived hell for my brother
But I won’t allow them to defeat my brother
As long as I can stand on my feet for my brother
As long as I can stand up and speak for my brother
I will not be afraid nor weak for my brother
I will not stand on the fence for my brother
I will stand up in defense for my brother
No effort too small or immense for my brother
I have no doubt they will clear my brother
And Allah will dry a mothers tears for my brother
But what I want to say here for my brother
If you’re not willing to stand for your brother
Then this will only expand to your brothers
If you choose to forget or ignore my brother
I will not stand here beg and implore for my brother
It doesn’t matter what they have in store for my brother
And Allah is my lord and He’s the lord of my brother

by Izza Azzam

Source: FreeFahad.com

Poetry from Prison: I Invest Only in You

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If not for your blessing of strength O Rabb
My weakness would overpower me
If not for Your Grace O Rabb
My view of Judgement would enslave me.

My eyes see as far as eyes can see
But only outwardly
You see further than can be known
To the very depth of me.
Things I truly believed I couldn’t accomplish
You’ve already seen me through.
Only asking that I put total trust in you

So where we only see smoke and fire, clouds and rain
You show us a diamond is but a rock
Until it meets the flame
So for Hellfire is luxury and enslavement of desire
But for Paradise is hardship and having to struggle and strive
Hand in hand they work
What fire heats, rain cools
O Rabb! Grant us the ability to obey only your rules.

So this is why we lay, sit and stand, worshipping You
We ask for an increase in taqwa and and iman so
We’re able to put our all in You
For if giving is receiving, then how can we lose?
How can we lose when we invest only in You?

Abdul-Hakim Smith
BC4664
HMP Manchester