Medina Safe Havens - 700 word version
When the Prophet Muhammad and his early followers were faced with immense persecution in the city of Mecca, Muhammad instructed his followers to escape rather than continue to suffer. Under the Prophet’s instruction, the Muslims migrated from Mecca to Medina in AD 622, thus leaving the birthplace of the Prophet and of the religion of Islam. After this migration, Muhammad signed a treaty with the Meccans that, despite providing peace and safety for the Muslims, proved to be a great compromise on their part. Thus, the concepts of migration to escape persecution, re-establishment of communities, and compromise for peace were all central to the Prophet’s life and to the experience of the early Muslim community and provide strong precedents that modern-day Muslims facing oppression can follow in order to maintain liberty, dignity, and progress. Today, there are millions of Muslims facing persecution as they struggle to survive in war zones and refugee camps throughout the world. It has been