Acts

of Love within Humanity -Transcript of speech by Hina Qidwai on behalf of the Islamic Society of Joplin at Joplins Neighbors Rally. Good evening What a beautiful group of people we have here today! My name is Hina Qidwai, and I speak to you today as an American Muslim mom, who has brought her first grader to this beautiful event- telling her that this has been organized by the townspeople of Joplin, for their Muslim neighbors. I want to make sure that my daughters young mind registers images of positivity, love and humanity; and of Joplins people reaching out to each other regardless of religion, race or color. I want that image to stay in her mind as she grows. I want to tell you a story from 2 years ago when our Mosque at the Islamic Society of Joplin had ended a month long period of fasting and charity, which we call Ramadan & was getting ready for our celebration of Eid. Instead of just celebrating that year, our Mosque decided to do something different. It was a coincidence that our end of Ramadan coincided with 9/11, which the President of the US had designated as a day of service & remembrance. Americans of all faiths and traditions were urged to reach out & serve their communities; and so we did. We, as a small community, hosted a Day of Caring for the needy and homeless in Joplin. Apart from the free clothing for adults and children, diapers, blankets & toys, we also handed out school supplies for the school year that had just started. A local vendor & Mosque member from North Park mall offered food for the homeless & needy at his own expense. Our biggest resource though, within our Mosque was our Physicians. Since Joplin happens to be a medically underserved area, the Joplin

Muslim community is largely comprised of Muslim physicians, who travel from across the country to serve in Joplin. These Muslim physicians conducted free health checks of Joplins community on this day. It was on this Day of Caring 2 years ago, that we felt a stirring of something within us, that not only our religion teaches us to do, --But yours does too. We connected with the people of Joplin & formed bonds of humanity and brotherhood. On that day, in the words of Dr. Iqbal Boda, we simply practiced what our religion preaches. The Joplin Globe quoted him as saying All faiths teach us to take care of underserved people, whether its Christianity, Judaism or Islam. When someone is suffering, you can see it in their faces. Crying has no language, as tears are all the same color. Little did we know, that two years from that day, our Mosque would itself be in a position, where the people of Joplin would extend a helping hand to us. We have truly come full circle. A year later, on May 22, as our Mosque completed its Sunday school graduation with a picnic, - & - as we sent off Dr. Bodas eldest daughter to her Joplin High School graduation, as one of the top 3 grads to give her speech, we had no idea that our lives, along with the lives of so many in Joplin were to change forever. The EF-5 tornado hit at 5:41 that evening and many of us were to lose friends and family, homes & belongings. The tornado aftermath became one of the busiest times for us as a congregation. That tornado tore through our town & opened bare open wounds into our souls; and yet the town came together as one. The world began to take notice as something miraculous was happening in Joplin.

Just like many of you did in your Churches & Synagogues, we raised funds & donated relief goods to local distribution centers, and physically volunteered to clean up the debris around town. We hosted volunteers and relief organizations from all across the nation at our Mosque, and we also hosted them in our homes, from where they left to clear debris and chop down tree trunks, and clear yards. My most poignant story of volunteers at that time was of a Muslim family who drove down from Cape Girardeau, MO, of a physician, Dr. Ahmad Sheikh & his wife, who brought their three sons along with them (all under 8 years old). They stayed at our house and I expected his wife Maria to leave her kids behind as they went out to volunteer the next day. Instead, she took them with her saying that "it is important for them to see and serve (as Muslims, and as Americans) winning my admiration for her in the process. We crossed all barriers of color, religion and race in reaching out to those around us. It is my honor to say that we have present amongst us today members of Catholic Charities and the Islamic circle of North America (ICNA) both organizations that we worked hand in hand with at our mosque, after the tornado. I am proud to say that ICNA is here again today as they have, of their own accord, provided over 500 backpacks as a gesture of goodwill to Joplins students going back to school. And the last I heard, Saudi students from Missouri Southern State University were responsible for staying up late & spending hours in filling those backpacks and getting them ready, to be handed out today. Today is a day to celebrate our human spirit and our similarities. We have more things in common, rather than our differences. Judaism, Christianity & Islam are 3 branches of the worlds greatest Abrahamic faiths. Today is also a day to make an effort to reach out, because something miraculous is still happening in Joplin.

Today is a day to make new friends and to ask questions. Today is a day to dispel stereotypes and learn about one another. For example, when you look at me and see that I dress like this and cover myself out of modesty. I do so because I try to emulate one of the most respected and honorable women in Islam- the mother of Jesus, Mary. The only woman to have a whole chapter dedicated to her by name in our Holy book, the Quran. When I do so, I dont do this out of compulsion or someone forcing me to do so. I do it as a right given to me by my Creator, in a country that allows me to freely practice my religion according to its beautiful Constitution. Muslims from around the world prefer to settle down in the US for many reasons. Contrary to the myth that they all flee persecution in their countries; many Muslims choose to come here for its world class post-graduate education programs & for the religious freedoms & civil liberties that America offers to its citizens. When we fast in Ramadan, we fast as Jesus did- as a sign of submission & humility, & neglecting the physical needs of the body while nourishing our souls. When we reach out to you and believe in equality amongst all people, we do so because, to us, thats the message of Jesus, Abraham, Moses, Noah, Mohammad and all the great messengers who came bearing the same message (peace and blessings be upon them all). When we worked alongside people of different faiths and backgrounds after the tornado, our faith taught us to do that. We believe in building bridges. Recently, we have been asked a lot as to we havent responded with anger to our mosque burning & our answer is: -It simply isnt our place to punish, or respond with anger. We believe that every soul has to answer for their deeds to their Creator & it is no one elses right to punish. In fact, we can forgive and that is immensely rewarding.

 Before the mosque fire, we had gone through 20 days of a daily routine of fasting all day, practicing patience in the face of thirst & hunger, & not complaining.You see Ramadan to us is like a boot camp for the soul, where 1 month of our lives sets the tone for the rest of the year, where we push ourselves to the fullest character improvement we can achieve. We become deeply spiritual, pray, give charity and reach out to our fellow human beings. I remember when 9/11 happened, I was in graduate school, and Muslims and Muslim organizations all across this nation, and the world condemned those terrorist acts as Not in the name of Islam. President Bush stated that those acts were not in the name of Islam, and yet, a large amount of ignorance and misinformation still exists about Muslims today. Large numbers of people have stereotypes about Islam, and yet have never met a Muslim person and are unaware of what is common between us. However, I truly believe that whatever may have caused the fire at our mosque, it was not in the spirit and not in the name of Joplin. I hope that someday all of our kids grow up to be like Ashley Carter who wasted no time in reaching out with love and humanity- with positive energy and goodness, and was able to bind people together and set a chain of events that result in one good act, after another. When I first met Ashley at our Eid lunch, her simple wisdom bowled me over. She said with a calm maturity that, it was very important for her to reach out and overwhelm any act of hatred, with many acts of love. It is my honor today that I stand here with Ashley Carter and I am proud to call her one of my dearest friends. Islam, just like Christianity, Judaism and all the other great religions of the world teaches peace and tolerance.

There is an ancient story that comes from India- the land where I trace my ethnic origins to, of a local King, who refused to let a travelling group of Muslim migrants settle in his land. He did this by offering the Muslim congregation leader a glass of milk, which was full to the brim. This glass of milk was symbolic, as if to say we are all full and there is simply no space for you. The Muslim congregation leader asked for a spoon of sugar and gently mixed it into the milk and stirred it in. He then said something very symbolic in return. He said We, as Muslims are like this sugar, quietly dissolving in your fabric without disrupting & only adding a sweetness to what was there before. THIS is what Muslims strive to be like in America. This is what, WE, as a congregation strive to be like in Joplin. The sugar in your milk, quietly dissolving and mixing in without disrupting anything; but hoping to leave a lasting taste of sweetness in the greater fabric of this great Nation. Id like to end with a verse from the Quran about humanity and it is from Chapter 30, verse 22 which says: And among His signs is the creation of the skies & heavens and the Earth, and the variations in your languages and your colors; verily in that are signs for those who know. God bless you all and God bless Joplin. Hina Qidwai, Joplin, August 25, 2012