Categories
Current Affairs articles

An Eye-Watering Story

I am Gujarati: Hands Off My Mosque

ومن أظلم ممن منع مساجد الله أن يذكر فيها اسمه

“And who is more oppressive than he who prevents the mosques of Allah from mentioning His name.”

I write this with a heavy heart and a tear in my eye, never before have I written on behalf of someone who is deceased. That’s right, this message is on behalf of a girl who passed away aged 7.
Before she passed away she desired to visit a Masjid, the house of Allah, but she was refused from several Gujarati Masjids in Blackburn. Why?

One Masjid said her wheelchair will make our carpets dirty?!


Another Masjid said, if we have a fire she will cause a hazard! (She wanted a tour, not admission).


The Masjid that finally gave permission said, just look from the shoe racks??? Which she did and tearfully said, “Mum, is it because I am disabled I didn’t get a proper tour?” Heartbreaking!


In the end, the Abu Hanifah Foundation gave her a proper tour, their students sang Nasheeds for her and gave her a crystal frame…

THIS IS ISLAM! Respect to AHF, I salute you. 


And shame on the others, you disgust me. I must mention that the girl was a Pakistani and Pakistani is not a code word for Patels. Maybe if she was a Patel, she would have been allowed? 


Dear Gujarati Masters,
I’ll call you by the title you love, let me massage that ego for you. I’m happy to be your slave and servant. Your Masjids are no longer the houses of Allah, they are clubs, where the Gujarati Master throws his weight around and stamps his authority down. Perhaps it doesn’t work at home on the wife and kids?


If your heart doesn’t irk with this story you need to do an “Iman test” toooo many people testing for Corona and not checking that their Iman is positive. Just because these Imams don’t have disabled children, that doesn’t mean you don’t care about disabled children. This family is not related to me, nor do we have disabled children in the family, Alhumdu lillah… but the story still bothered me for nights. 


Before you blame committees of the Masajid… stop right there! The family approached the Imams who are very outspoken on the Mimbar but fragile on the inside I guess, it’s easy to talk the talk I guess. Gujaratis are good for establishing institutions, but not for establishing JUSTICE!

Ulama are incompetent when it comes to these diversity issues. Islam is not just about Salah and Sawm. Islam is a diverse religion, let Ulama open their minds, open their hearts and open their Masajid.

Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure)

24 Muharram 1442