Dear friends,
The simplest of gestures can speak volumes to those in need.
Attacks against Muslims are on the rise, and tragically the current political climate suggests that they won’t be slowing down any time soon.
Ask yourself what you can do to stand up to the bullies persecuting people for their religious beliefs at this very moment.
A simple starting point would be to set the above image as your profile picture on your social media sites.
Thanks to the pervasiveness of technology in our lives today, many of the friendships we cherish exist primarily in the virtual realm.
We shouldn’t underestimate the impact that something as seemingly trivial as a profile picture can have.
To give just a taste of the effect I’ve seen already since setting my profile pic yesterday, here are two comments from Facebook friends:
I used to live in an Islamic neighborhood in Dearborn Michigan, was one of only two white families on the street, the rest were mostly Lebonese and Jordanian…some of the nicest neighbors I ever had. Our neighbor across the street was having a hard time removing a stump in his yard, I went over and helped him. He was moved to tears I would help without any expectation of pay or anything, he brought me in his home and gave me the most beautiful silk prayer rug with scenes from all holy sites in mid-east, I still have it and cherish it.
And:
Thank you for posting this. My in-laws are Muslims.
If that’s all we feel comfortable doing, that’s just fine. If we’re called to do more, even better!
Should you find yourself compelled to go above and beyond, I encourage you to read the letter by Sofia Ali-Khan that went viral last week.
The article is titled “Dear Non-Muslim Allies, Now is the Time to Stand Up and Defend Your Fellow Citizens’ Human Rights“. Her letter makes some great recommendations for ways to take action.
Please also feel free to share this blog post, and before you go, click here to set your profile pic.
Thank you for your compassion,
Dan
h ~ e ~ a ~ r ~ t ~ s ~ p ~ a ~ c ~ e 