By Shakeel Rashed
Every year, we look forward to the holy month of Ramadan. With fasting through the days and reflective night prayers, interspersed with delightful iftars, the month goes by quickly. This year is different, we are starting it feeling helpless at the situation in Gaza.
It was ACL weekend in Austin when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th. Some of the pictures prior to the assault showed scenes similar to Austin where young people enjoyed a carefree music festival.
Now, it is over six months, since my reflexive tweet, “Hamas made an extremely horrible choice… many others are going to pay including innocent people all over the world who had nothing to do with it”
Unfortunately, this proved prescient. More than 30,000 killed in Gaza, many of them women and children. All of this, for what? While some Israeli hostages have been released, many are still held captive.
In the past few months, many took to the streets in support of the people of Gaza led mostly by secular groups. The faith community seemed divided, there were supporters of Israel’s right to defend itself on one side and on the other side those who want the killing of innocent people in pursuit of the perpetrators to stop. And many were silent, torn in between.
This conflict hit closer to home in February. A young man, Zacharia Doar, was violently stabbed returning from his constitutionally given right to protest near UT Austin. This moved the interfaith community. Interfaith Action of Central Texas (iACT) released a strong statement saying,
“Having previously expressed our concerns of the horrible events of October 7. We want to be equally clear about our concerns for the Palestinian and Muslim Community.
… This act of violence against Zacharia was an act of hate – a hate crime. Hate has to stop. We stand against extremism and violence. Stop the killing of innocent people. …”.
Following that terrible incident, St Andrews Presbyterian Church hosted a well-attended gathering, ‘United Against Hate’. Zacharia’s father updated us on his recovery. Several other faith leaders joined him in solidarity. Sheik Attia Omara of Islamic Center of Lake Travis, explored on what makes a man violently attack someone unprovoked. He continued to answer with reference to Lucifer in the Quran (similar in all Abrahamic religions) and how violence is often due to the perpetrator’s perception that his victims are lesser human beings.
Dehumanization has been used by aggressors since time immemorial. Colonizers and slave traders have used it. Hitler did it to Jews and Roma. So did the US to Native Americans and Vietnamese. Unfortunately, it is now being used by the Israeli government on Palestinians.
The attacker here in Austin was triggered by Zacharia and his friends wearing a Kuffiya – traditional Palestinian garb. Little did he know that Zacharia also loved to sport cowboy boots and hats; loved pickup trucks like most Texans, and is the father of a 5 month old baby. I don’t know if any of these facts would have changed the attacker’s mind.
As Rev. Jim Rigby of St. Andrews said, “The interfaith community here in Austin has a long tradition of gathering in solidarity when any member of our human family suffers a hate crime.”
We were moved into action by one of our own harmed. Now think of 30,000 killed and 2 million people displaced from their homes. Many of them are dying from starvation and lack of drinking water. Even aid from several organizations has not been allowed to enter. The mighty USA, showed its helplessness when it air-dropped food last week.
The faith community needs to work together and unequivocally call for a ceasefire. This should include the release of hostages and allowing aid to enter Gaza to give respite to the suffering, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.
Concluding with the statement from iACT , “In this time of massive conflict and loss of life, we have to remember that we are for the people. Let us remember our humanity. Let us come together to share our love with each other in this difficult time. As an interfaith organization we are here to cultivate peace and respect and we invite you in this space of dialogue.”
Faith communities need to restore hope and our faith in liberty and justice for all.
