Ramadan Karim: Gaza, Wahab, and Compassion

by Gabriela Phillips

This Ramadan (Sunday, March 10, 2024, to Tuesday, April 9, 2024) is going to be different. With genocide in plain sight, the Muslim community around the world has its eyes on Gaza; wondering why there are no red lines when it comes to violence perpetrated in the name of democracy.

This Ramadan, millions of Muslims are turning to God praying for justice and an end to starvation, bombs, and ideologies of destruction that cannot be eradicated with more violence. In the process, they are looking at the Christian world and wondering why we are silent. Do we need to bring indignation back as a force for good?

Yesterday, Aaron Bushnell in an act of extreme repudiation of violence and perhaps moral agony poured gas over himself and died. I wish he would have chosen to stay alive and help us to build hope in the midst of hopelessness. He is gone, but we are here, and this is where peace starts. This Ramadan, we can get out into the neighborhood, not with a new project but with a new attitude of opening ourselves to be a blessing to our neighbors who are in pain. This does not have to be complicated.

Last week I called Wahab, an Iraqi refugee who has survived three shipwrecks. Brother, I asked, how is the genocide in Gaza affecting you? Without hesitation he said, you told me to look for where is God at work, right? I did not know what to say before I added, “True, but I am struggling to see any good right now…” Wahab surprised me, “Sister, did you not see how Gaza has awakened the compassion and conscience of the world?” He is right, I had missed the mission of God in Gaza, and I hope you don’t miss it either.

So, this is where it starts; with a prayer. I invite you to pause right now and pray. You can pray alone, or you can join me in prayer here…

Our Father in Heaven, our world is in pain. Can you awaken our hearts to feel its pain and be moved to compassion? Jesus, beloved Bread of God, can you bring back life abundant to the burned neighborhoods, to starving mothers, and touch children again? Lord, this world is convoluted, we feel at times paralyzed, can you open my eyes to the one who you have thrust into my arms that I may love? Holy Spirit, give me new boldness to attempt new things that you will show me. I surrender my will, may your will be done, in my neighborhood, as it is in heaven. In Christ's name, Amen

Before you continue, purpose in your heart the desire to be led to someone in need of hope. Here are a few things that you could do to communicate love and hope if that person is a Muslim neighbor, work colleague, a fellow university student, or the spouse of one of your church members.

You could say…

Peace be upon you, how are brother/sister? I was speaking with a friend recently and she told me about the sacred month of Ramadan. I must admit that I am new to this, so forgive me but I don’t know much about it except that it is a month of spiritual renewal and seeking to be closer to God; two noble purposes. Do you mind telling me about Ramadan?

[Listen; not to the data, but the spiritual heart. Is this person seeking purification, and forgiveness, to please God? Don’t feel that you need to witness, your witness is your presence. Christ is ministering love through your presence. Compassionate listening for people in pain is more healing than compassionate speaking.]

Thanks for sharing. From our side, our family wishes to share this token of love and wish you and your family God’s blessing as you seek Him.

Before you go, you could add:

I have been following the news coming from Gaza, and I can only say that as a believer and a follower of the Messiah, I grieve over the loss of life and extreme suffering, do you mind me asking how is this affecting you? Do you have family in Palestine? Do you know anyone affected directly in our area?

If you feel impressed to pray after listening to what they tell you, you could also say, “Do you mind if I ask God for a blessing over the people of Gaza?” If you say pray, prayer in Islam is salat (formal prayer), so it may seem strange. But when you say, “Can I ask God for a blessing?” And you put your hand in front of you open towards heaven, that signals prayer the way we understand it. If the person says yes, pray the Lord’s prayer, but when it says, may your will be done on earth, you can say, “among the people of Palestine.”

If you need more help on how to minister this Ramadan, here are some resources to share with Muslims. We have prepared a booklet of prayers, Praying with the Prophets, that can be accessed through Adventsource. Also, find articles and ideas on our Ramadan page found at https://amfa4nad.org/ or write to me at gabrielaphillips@nadadventist.org if you need to train your church, or want to clarify matters concerning Adventist-Muslim Relations.

Gabriela Phillips is Director of Adventist-Muslim Relations at the North American Division.

POSTSCRIPT: Thanks to all of you who have reached out in response to my article. Some of you have provided positive feedback, others have expressed concerns which I hope to address.

Adventist Muslim Relations exists to mobilize and empower Adventists to engage and witness Muslims in North America, as such my focus is not political, but missional. If what I wrote seemed lopsided is because I am describing the state of the Muslim community, and their heart cry, so that your engagement during this sacred month of Ramadan (fasting) is rooted in knowledge. And so that you may minister where it hurts. I did not intend to offer an analysis of the current political crisis in the Middle East, so I apologize for not making that clear.

Do I take sides? Yes, I do. Adventism helps me see the lines drawn between the Kingdom of God and the Empires of this world. Partisan ideologies are dividing us, dehumanizing “the other,” causing us to pledge ultimate allegiance to the Caesars of our liking, and even more deceptive to see political solutions as lasting. In the Kingdom, God is supreme, and evil is evil no matter where it befalls. In the Kingdom, reconciliation is the goal, and compassion is the trigger. Through the lens of the Kingdom, the genocide in Gaza is also a spiritual, moral, and humanitarian crisis, not just a crass political failure.

Why the use of the term genocide? These days, words are used without careful consideration, but as a follower of Jesus, committed to truth and the dignity of life, this is not an option. Therefore, after carefully studying what is genocide according to international laws and conventions, I came to see that indeed, this term is accurate. I am sharing with you a video that has been prepared to assist churches providing the basis for understanding international law. The speaker is Craig Mokhiber former Director in the New York Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). A lawyer and specialist in international human rights law and policy since 1992. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp-CpWppw00 If you still have any questions, feel free to reach out to me at gabrielaphillips@nadadventist.org

Finally, I hope this article sheds a couple of rays of light on the pressing questions of, how does it translates to be a peacemaker in a world rift with much violence? How can we walk among people losing hope as agents of divine reconciliation? How do we recover a clear-sounding voice amidst competing noises coming from the left and the right? Further, if politics cannot bring peace, why not investing more time exploring ways to communicate shalom cross-culturally? 

If this message resonates with you, join us in the journey of peacebuilding in NAD, and may God bless you!