SBC news reported on the deaths of at least 15 Syrian refugee children due to the freezing winter weather conditions and lack of medical care. UNICEF regional director Geert Cappelaere said; Freezing temperatures and harsh living conditions in Rukban (refugee camp in southeastern Syria) increasingly putting children’s lives at risk. In just one month, at least eight children – most of them under four months and the youngest only one hour old – have died,” The UNHCR current video appeal and website document the immense problems and quote the following, “Fierce winds and torrential rain (of storm Norma) are putting the lives of Syrian refugees in Lebanon at grave risk. Many are living in informal tented settlements, in flimsy homes that provide little protection from the elements. In just a matter of days, extreme weather in Lebanon has damaged over 66 settlements with 15 having been completely flooded or collapsed. Over 50,000 people, living in 850 settlements, remain at risk of flooding.”
Comment:
Living in the refugee camps are a nightmare in any season, but winter months bring an exceptional level of danger and distress as death from exposure due to the cold, flooding and disease which are additional burdens faced by the already traumatized Muslims. The refugee camps are notoriously understaffed and neglected with no basic needs of the inhabitants being completely overlooked. Most of our children there have zero access to appropriate clothing, bedding and shelter from the severe weather and added to that the lack of nutrition and access to medicine and treatment leaves the already vulnerable lives of the youth exposed to life threatening consequences. How can it be that a healthy child dies as soon as he is born for the want of a blanket? The mother carried this soul for 9 months only to lose it after she successfully delivered it through all of her pain and efforts. This month, 360 informal settlements have been affected with many under complete flooding. 60 tents housing families are damaged leaving the occupants without shelter from the freezing weather. People are living as non-citizens in “informal settlements” with inhumane conditions for years at a time is an anathema to the Islamic political system. Is the Islamic Political system, there are only citizens and non-citizens and all of whom must have their basic human rights to shelter, security and food. The non-Muslim citizens are recognized officially in the term Dhimmi and they must be looked after under the protection of the Islamic state with their personal lives respected. The Prophet ﷺ said in a hadith:«مَنْ قَتَلَ مُعَاهَدًا لَمْ يَرِحْ رَائِحَةَ الْجَنَّةِ وَإِنَّ رِيحَهَا تُوجَدُ مِنْ مَسِيرَةِ أَرْبَعِينَ عَامًا» “He who kills a non-Muslim who keeps a peace treaty with the Muslims will not smell the scent of Heaven, though its scent can be traced to as far as a march of 40 years”(Imam Ahmad and Al-Bukhari in Al-Jizyah, among others). The life of non-Muslims is so sacred, so what about the life of Muslims? Yet, they die without being counted!
The Zakat system is one of the matters where Islamic law obliges the collection of wealth to be given to the needy as basic needs must be overseen by the Islamic Ruler, the Khaleefah. The Messenger ﷺ instructed the governor, Muath Ibn Jabal, to go to Yemen and instructed him: «فَأَخْبِرْهُمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ فَرَضَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُؤْخَذُ مِنْ أَغْنِيَائِهِمْ فَتُرَدُّ عَلَى فُقَرَائِهِمْ» “Tell them that Allah has imposed on their goods, Sadqah (Zakat) which will be realized from their haves and distributed to the have-nots”. Without the correct Khilafah, charities give a few and leave the rest. However, in all of the economic systems other than Islam, there can be no justice for those who have a right to their basic needs, and this is why we see millions of refugees year after year still in the same miserable conditions, whilst the rulers in the Muslim lands do everything to prevent the return of the Khilafah that will rescue every Muslim.
Imrana Mohammad
Member of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir