Public Salah for Bosnia's Islamophobia

Last Monday during MPACUK's Stop Islamophobia Week 2012, Muslims in Walsall, UK, congregated outside their local Mosque to publicly honour the memory of Bosnian Muslims, who suffered atrocities during the European Islamophobic war in July 1992 - 1995. 

Outside Walsall’s Aisha Mosque, British Muslims held a Peace Vigil and Nafl Salah. It's refreshing to finally see British youngsters commemorating their Bosnian brothers and sisters and making an attempt to learn their history. It is clear that not near enough Muslims today will remember their own Ummah's massacre in 1995. 

There are many parallels in Britain today that existed in Bosnia: the climate of fear and demonisation of Muslims and Islam, also known as Islamophobia. The Ummah is one body, our war is one, our land is one and so is our peace. Yet these Islamic words fall on deaf Muslim ears.

How many British Muslims can honestly say they feel the pain suffered by a mother in Iraq? The pain of a brother in Burma or a sister in Syria? Our collective inactivity has proven our lack of concern. Salahuddin must be turning in his grave. Our small petty excuses, whatever they maybe to continue as we are, expose our own passive mindsets. 

Look at the dead bodies of the Muslims in Bosnia, Allah does not favour our perfection over the loss of life. Muslim blood is of much more value than the symbol of the Kabah. British Muslims have forgotten the essence of Islam. 

How can a religion, a nation gifted the trusteeship of mankind, ignore such suffering and death of other human beings and instead resort to instead perfect our own deen? Should we not perfect our own humanity first? 

Let's begin with remembering Bosnia. A people targeted for their Muslim identity in Europe 1995. 

To forget them, is to forget the future of our own children.