THE PEACE THRU JUSTICE FOUNDATION
11006 Veirs Mill Rd, STE L-15, PMB 298
Silver Spring, MD. 20902
RAMADAN 1431 A.H.
(August 21, 2010)
Assalaamu Alaikum: This is directed specifically to my brothers and sisters-in-Islam, as a time-sensitive appeal for material support in this sacred month of Ramadan. It is early morning in Boston (MA), just after fajr prayers; one of the best times to draft such an appeal directed to the hearts and minds of the truly committed.
There is an ayah (Qur'anic verse) in the surah (chapter) known as Tauba which reads in translation as follows: "Zakah is for the poor and the needy, and those employed to administer the funds: for those whose hearts have been recently reconciled to the truth; for those in bondage and in debt; in the cause of ALLAH; and for the wayfarer. Thus it is ordained by ALLAH, and ALLAH is full of knowledge and wisdom." (S. 9:60)
The imminent Qur'anic scholar Abdullah Yusuf Ali (b.1289 A.H./1872 A.C.), may ALLAH be pleased with him, wrote the following in his brief commentary on the aforementioned ayah:
"Who are the needy? Besides the ordinary indigent, there are certain classes of people whose need is great and should be relieved. Those mentioned are: (1) men [and women] who have been weaned from hostility to truth, who would probably be persecuted by their former associates, and require assistance until they establish new connections in their new environment; (2) those in bondage, literally and figuratively; captives of war must be redeemed, slaves should be helped to freedom, those in bondage of ignorance or superstition or unfavorable environment should be helped to freedom to develop their own gifts; (3) those who are held in the grip of debt should be helped to economic freedom; (4) those who are struggling and striving in ALLAH's cause by teaching or fighting, or in duties assigned to them by the righteous imam, who are thus unable to earn their ordinary living; and (5) strangers stranded on the way.
"All these have a claim to Zakat (obligatory charity). They should be relieved by individual or organized effort, but in a responsible way..."
Of the aforementioned categories, numbers two and four are the categories most often germane to the work of The Peace Thru Justice Foundation. And at present, under category four (for a variety of reasons), the captive of war who is receiving our most urgent attention is a Muslim woman by the name of Aafia Siddiqui. And time is indeed of the essence!
We currently have a ONE MONTH WINDOW with which to mount a formidable challenge to the government's oppressive agenda with regard to this Muslim woman. Given all of the favorable circumstance surrounding this precedent-setting case, if Dr. Aafia Siddiqui fails to receive the level of support THAT SHE DESERVES from her fear-stricken community, the countless number of similarly situated Muslim men in America don't stand a snow ball's chance in hell of getting the support that they need as well.
My hope was to be able to take this campaign for Aafia to all (or most) of the cities in the northeast corridor of the U.S. where there are significant number of Muslims; but as usual, our ambition was much bigger than our pocketbook. We just don't have the resource to mount such a campaign.
The goal now is to go as far as our limited resource will take us between now and the last 10 days of Ramadan; and then to spend the last 10 days of Ramadan (with the exception of Friday, Sept 3) in Boston, Massachusetts and New York City. To even do this most effectively, however, we're going to need all of the support we can get! Will YOU help us?
You will NOT be able to receive a deduction on your income tax form for contributing to the work of The Peace Thru Justice Foundation, dear Muslims; but based on the clearly stated, and divinely-given, mandate in The Book of ALLAH, you can be assured that if you give fi sabililah, it will be recorded as one of the most meritorious forms of zakat you've given this year. (At the end of the day which is more important...a tax deduction, or ALLAH's Pleasure?)
For those who may have questions about the honesty and integrity of our work, I will end with relevant statements from two reputable individuals: one a non-Muslim friend of the Siddiqui family, and the other, a prominent Muslim leader in America.
Mauri,
I have seen several accounts of your attempt to bring Aafia's case to ISNA. One of your correspondents asked you what you had done for Aafia. Let me answer that question.
When Aafia disappeared in 2003, her mother and sister in Pakistan and her brother in Texas lost most of their friends. Many of their relatives said point blank that until the problem with Aafia was
resolved, they didn't know them.
Aafia's mother and sister lived for years under death threats. If they spoke publicly about Aafia they would die. Aafia's brother lived in fear that he would speak about her to the wrong person and his mother and sister would die for his mistake.
So just what did you do for Aafia? You spoke up at a time when few people had the courage to do so. You were one of the first people to stand up and say that the information about Aafia did not support any of the allegations against her.
This may not sound like much, but at the time yours was one of very few voices in a big and scary wilderness. Those of us who know Aafia and care for her have never doubted her innocence, but we were all aware that our objectivity would be questioned. By standing up and saying "J'accuse" you gave us hope that others outside this small group of family and friends might also look at these allegations and come to the same conclusion.
Hope may seem a minor accomplishment, but when hope is the only tool God has provided for you, then hope is the tool you work with.
Mauri, feel free to use as much of this as you need to or want to, and feel free to use my name, but please make it clear that I am writing only as a friend of Aafia, her brother, her sister, and their mother, and that I am not writing as any sort of family spokesman.
Take care.
Andy.
Andrew Purcell
Houston, Texas
nd12strngs@juno.com
"E pur si muove."
What follows is a letter of support from a Muslim-American leader, from Ramadan of last year, 1430 A.H. (2009). "An Important Message in the Blessed Month of Ramadan."
Dear Brothers and Sisters, As-Salaam Alaikum:
May Allah grant you a blessed Ramadan. May he accept all of your good deeds done for His sake.
One of the best ways that you can procure the blessings of our Lord is to participate in good deeds. One of the good deeds that you can participate in is support of Brother Mauri Saalakhan of The Peace and Justice Foundation.
In my opinion Brother Saalakhan has done more than any individual, or organization, in bringing to the forefront information about injustices, and advocating for the rights of Muslims (and others). I depend on his many briefings to keep me up to date on the various cases around the United States (as well as other parts of the world).
Please support him in any way that you can. One of the ways that you can support his work (and as a result help the many cases that he is involved with, like Sister Aafia Siddiqui) is by donating generously to his organization. I believe that Allah will reward you greatly by supporting the work of this courageous brother! Please join Brother Saalakhan in the various courtrooms across the nation, as he supports those Muslims who are in desperate need of our support! Also try to join him in the various demonstrations, etc. that he helps to organize.
I give my FULL support to Br. Saalakhan! May Allah bless his work and may Allah bless YOU for assisting him to do that work.
Your brother in Islam,
Imam Siraj Wahhaj
There are two ways to send much needed support.
2. You can send a check or money order to the following address:
The Peace Thru Justice Foundation
11006 Veirs Mill Road
STE L-15, PMB 298
Silver Spring, MD. 20902
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui is now scheduled to be sentenced on the morning of Thursday, September 23, 2010, in New York City. There is much that needs to be done between now and then. We make a special appeal to Muslim leaders (of various stripes) throughout America, but especially in New York City, to rise above fear and /or petty self-interest and do what YOU are capable of doing in this final stretch. This is OUR SISTER-in-Islam; and she deserves OUR SUPPORT!
May ALLAH (Subhana wa Ta'Ala) bless all who respond to this urgent need and time sensitive opportunity; and may ALLAH bless us, in The Peace Thru Justice Foundation, to always be worthy of our supporters' trust! Ameen.
El-Hajj Mauri' Saalakhan
Director of Operations
The Peace Thru Justice Foundation
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