Ayesha Naseem Mirza, Walsall
Since 2008, World Humanitarian Day is commemorated globally each year in recognition of the efforts of humanitarian workers and to advocate for the well-being and dignity of people affected by any crises, as well as for the safety and security of aid and rescue workers.
Yet, writing this feels very foreign. For almost two years, Palestinian civilians, as well as aid and rescue workers, have been killed in shocking numbers. Those who are battling for survival are not just doing so against weapons and bombs, they are also battling for survival against mass starvation, bloodshed and destruction. Gaza has become a mass grave of international failure.
Obviously, the idea of recognising humanitarian workers and their sacrifices is extremely important and necessary, but it is also unfortunate that practically, very little is done to protect them. In the last twenty-two months, there have been countless targeted killings of aid and rescue workers in Gaza, but the response has been just global statements of condemnation and nothing else.
In June this year, the United Nations Secretary General paid tribute to the 168 members of UN humanitarian staff who died while on duty, out of which 126 were aid workers killed in Gaza. More than one in every 50 killed was a staff member of UNWRA – the highest staff death toll in UN history.
Islam places great importance on the need for humanitarian work. In fact, among the main purposes of man’s creation, one is to serve humanity and look after the creation of Allah the Almighty. In Chapter 3, verse 111 of the Holy Qur’an, Allah the Almighty instructs Muslims: “You are the best people raised for the good of mankind; you enjoin what is good and forbid evil and believe in Allah.”
Also, in Chapter 51, verse 20, it is said: “And in their wealth was a share for one who asked for help and for one who could not.”
His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his Helper), the fifth and current spiritual head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has stated: “Muslims are taught to be the ones who comfort and love those people who have been failed by society and to carry the weight of their burdens on their own shoulders. Muslims are duty-bound to help underprivileged people, so that they can stand upon their own two feet, live with dignity and be freed from their desperate circumstances.”
While Islam encourages Muslims to prioritise and focus on the service of mankind through charity, goodness and humanitarian work, it also provides guiding principles into the ways in which we can create a society and world that is just, peaceful, and equal so that there is no need for any aid or rescue work at all.
In his book, the Economic System of Islam, the second Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmad (may Allah be pleased with him) has explained:
“There is limitless variety of produced goods, some for personal consumption, some for industry as raw materials, and some are traded internationally. God reminds us that everything has been created for the benefit of mankind. No individual can lay exclusive claim upon these resources… Everything that has been created is for the benefit of the entire human race, including the rulers and the ruled, the high and the low, the superior and the subservient.” [1]
Once in the time of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), there was a famine and the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) ordered everyone to bring forth whatever was in their homes, and everyone obliged. When all the food was collected, it was then distributed equitably amongst the entire population, so no one was left feeling hungry. It was a means to avoid creating unrest or the feeling of injustice.
His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his Helper) narrated this incident in one of his addresses and then added:
“It should not be that one person makes off with hundreds of billions whilst another is left jobless or that somebody should withdraw a huge bonus from the public purse, whilst another person is deprived of even a basic salary, or despite a person’s part repayment of his mortgage, he rather loses his home, because he was unable to complete the full payment.” [2]
Inevitably, with all the unrest in the world, the efforts of humanitarian workers and the need to protect them is ever so significant. But to truly honour the work of those serving to help God’s creation, the world must navigate a way that ensures the rights of all are fulfilled, where justice is paramount and no sense of disparity is allowed.
References
[2] https://www.alislam.org/articles/discharging-equal-rights-can-help-establish-peace/
Voice of British Muslim Women 
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