Muslim migration to safe havens
* revised version of original article targeted for non-Muslim publications*
When the prophet Muhammad and his early followers were faced with immense persecution in the city of Mecca, Muhammad directed his followers to escape from this abuse rather than continue to suffer from it. Under the prophet’s instruction, the Muslims migrated from Mecca to Medina in AD 622, thus abandoning their holy city. After this migration the two cities of Mecca and Medina remained hostile and fought multiple wars but ultimately signed a treaty called Hudaybiyya. This treaty’s main focus was to establish peace between the two cities but constituted a lot of unpopular comprises by the Muslims. The key compromises made by the Muslims included unequal treatment of defectors and denial of Muhammad to use his title as a Prophet. Thus, these beliefs in migration as a resolution to persecution, the re-establishment of communities, and unequal compromise for peace and strategic objectives were all central to Muhammad’s life and to the experience of the early Muslim community. Furthermore, these concepts and their practice in early Islamic history provide strong precedents that modern-day Muslims facing oppression can follow, not only to maintain liberty, dignity, and progress, but also to prevent the development of violent reactionaryism. Additionally this article will argue that Western nations can fight terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism by providing safe havens for Muslim populations looking to escape persecution and live peaceful meaningful lives.
Today, migration as a result of persecution or armed conflict has generated over fourteen million refugees, the majority of whom originate from Muslim-majority countries. As these people continue to face persecution while struggling to survive in war zones and refugee camps throughout the world, the UNHCR reports that the ideal solutions to these refugee populations are voluntary repatriation to the country of origin, local integration into the country of asylum, and resettlement in a third country. Given that Muslims are commanded by their religion to migrate in order to escape persecution and that the hosting of refugees is an integral part of Islamic tradition, every Muslim country should be more than willing to lend a portion of its uninhabited land to internally displaced persons (IDPs) and external refugees of foreign national origin. I refer to this concept of providing refuge for those escaping persecution as creating “Medina Safe Havens,” and I call for the creation of Medina Safe Havens across the globe so that there may be multiple sanctuaries like the one Medina provided for the Muslims fourteen hundred years ago.
What would be required for the creation of Medina Safe Havens? Primarily, host countries would have to be willing to allocate unused areas of land to IDPs and refugees, simply providing each IDP or refugee family with enough land to establish its own small, self-sustainable farm. Based on information from the meetings of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, a lot of 700 square meters (7535 square feet) is enough to support one person’s own vegetarian diet. Furthermore, with new agricultural techniques such as Dry Area Agriculture and Biointesive farming, it is estimated that only 3500 square feet of land and somewhere between 250 and 1000 liters are required per person per day.
These Safe Havens would not necessarily require any other infrastructural components, like electricity, sewers, or roads. Instead, green technologies, such as wind turbines, solar panels, rechargeable batteries, and LED lighting, would allow these new communities to quickly increase their standard of living and, at the same time, become practical models for functional, low-impact, sustainable housing. Homeschooling could be encouraged, thus allowing children to stay home to help on the family farm, and health care could be provided nearby, via mobile clinics. Finally, each host country could very well experience an influx of financial assistance from international charities as the safety of and easy access to Medina Safe Havens would make them ideal targets for organizations looking to optimize their humanitarian relief efforts.
This brings the Western World into the picture. By encouraging and providing funding for the Medina Safe Havens, the United States and other affluent nations would not only be supporting humanitarian efforts but they would also be battling terrorism by winning hearts and improving the quality of life for millions. By helping people who have been driven from their homes and are in desperate need of assistance find peaceful new locations for their families to settle in, locations complete with food, shelter, and self-run farms, the U.S. and other countries would be working to prevent the anger and frustration that develops when people feel hopeless. If only a fraction of the dollars currently being spent on bombs and military operations was used to help rehabilitate the most poverty-stricken and desperate IDPs and refugees, the United States and Europe would make massive progress in the war on terror.
In conclusion, it is my dream to see a world where able countries work together to both establish Medina Safe Havens for IDPs and refugees and fund their establishment. In particular I hope that both spiritual and political Muslim leaders advocate for the creation of Medina Safe Havens and that the Western World dedicates resources to accelerate the standard of living in these Safe Havens. In time, these efforts would not only ease the suffering of IDP and refugee populations across the globe, they would also become thriving market driven economies that provide a high standard of living to peaceful, progressive populations. In my opinion, creating Medina Safe Havens will geographical corner radicals and subdue violent terrorism that so often results from the anger brought about by people’s oppression, poverty and helplessness.
By: Amer Haider. Email: amerhhh@gmail.com.
When the prophet Muhammad and his early followers were faced with immense persecution in the city of Mecca, Muhammad directed his followers to escape from this abuse rather than continue to suffer from it. Under the prophet’s instruction, the Muslims migrated from Mecca to Medina in AD 622, thus abandoning their holy city. After this migration the two cities of Mecca and Medina remained hostile and fought multiple wars but ultimately signed a treaty called Hudaybiyya. This treaty’s main focus was to establish peace between the two cities but constituted a lot of unpopular comprises by the Muslims. The key compromises made by the Muslims included unequal treatment of defectors and denial of Muhammad to use his title as a Prophet. Thus, these beliefs in migration as a resolution to persecution, the re-establishment of communities, and unequal compromise for peace and strategic objectives were all central to Muhammad’s life and to the experience of the early Muslim community. Furthermore, these concepts and their practice in early Islamic history provide strong precedents that modern-day Muslims facing oppression can follow, not only to maintain liberty, dignity, and progress, but also to prevent the development of violent reactionaryism. Additionally this article will argue that Western nations can fight terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism by providing safe havens for Muslim populations looking to escape persecution and live peaceful meaningful lives.
Today, migration as a result of persecution or armed conflict has generated over fourteen million refugees, the majority of whom originate from Muslim-majority countries. As these people continue to face persecution while struggling to survive in war zones and refugee camps throughout the world, the UNHCR reports that the ideal solutions to these refugee populations are voluntary repatriation to the country of origin, local integration into the country of asylum, and resettlement in a third country. Given that Muslims are commanded by their religion to migrate in order to escape persecution and that the hosting of refugees is an integral part of Islamic tradition, every Muslim country should be more than willing to lend a portion of its uninhabited land to internally displaced persons (IDPs) and external refugees of foreign national origin. I refer to this concept of providing refuge for those escaping persecution as creating “Medina Safe Havens,” and I call for the creation of Medina Safe Havens across the globe so that there may be multiple sanctuaries like the one Medina provided for the Muslims fourteen hundred years ago.
What would be required for the creation of Medina Safe Havens? Primarily, host countries would have to be willing to allocate unused areas of land to IDPs and refugees, simply providing each IDP or refugee family with enough land to establish its own small, self-sustainable farm. Based on information from the meetings of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, a lot of 700 square meters (7535 square feet) is enough to support one person’s own vegetarian diet. Furthermore, with new agricultural techniques such as Dry Area Agriculture and Biointesive farming, it is estimated that only 3500 square feet of land and somewhere between 250 and 1000 liters are required per person per day.
These Safe Havens would not necessarily require any other infrastructural components, like electricity, sewers, or roads. Instead, green technologies, such as wind turbines, solar panels, rechargeable batteries, and LED lighting, would allow these new communities to quickly increase their standard of living and, at the same time, become practical models for functional, low-impact, sustainable housing. Homeschooling could be encouraged, thus allowing children to stay home to help on the family farm, and health care could be provided nearby, via mobile clinics. Finally, each host country could very well experience an influx of financial assistance from international charities as the safety of and easy access to Medina Safe Havens would make them ideal targets for organizations looking to optimize their humanitarian relief efforts.
This brings the Western World into the picture. By encouraging and providing funding for the Medina Safe Havens, the United States and other affluent nations would not only be supporting humanitarian efforts but they would also be battling terrorism by winning hearts and improving the quality of life for millions. By helping people who have been driven from their homes and are in desperate need of assistance find peaceful new locations for their families to settle in, locations complete with food, shelter, and self-run farms, the U.S. and other countries would be working to prevent the anger and frustration that develops when people feel hopeless. If only a fraction of the dollars currently being spent on bombs and military operations was used to help rehabilitate the most poverty-stricken and desperate IDPs and refugees, the United States and Europe would make massive progress in the war on terror.
In conclusion, it is my dream to see a world where able countries work together to both establish Medina Safe Havens for IDPs and refugees and fund their establishment. In particular I hope that both spiritual and political Muslim leaders advocate for the creation of Medina Safe Havens and that the Western World dedicates resources to accelerate the standard of living in these Safe Havens. In time, these efforts would not only ease the suffering of IDP and refugee populations across the globe, they would also become thriving market driven economies that provide a high standard of living to peaceful, progressive populations. In my opinion, creating Medina Safe Havens will geographical corner radicals and subdue violent terrorism that so often results from the anger brought about by people’s oppression, poverty and helplessness.
By: Amer Haider. Email: amerhhh@gmail.com.
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