there was once a woman named Zaynab
who was more important to God than i will ever be
and she witnessed things far worse than i have ever known
and yet she said
ما رأيت إلا جميلا
there is a Love that never ends
يا ودود
there is a Light that always shines
يا نور
beyond the sadness and darkness
the angels knew we were rapists and killers
but they couldn’t see the secret within
that could know all the Names
how do you know Love
how do you know Light
how can a woman see mutilated bodies
and say
ما رأيت إلا جميلا
there are times when what my heart sees is more real than what is before my eyes
i asked the young Rohingya girl what her name was
“Zaynab,” she said
and she told me that her Play-Doh
was rice and some aloo and an onion
but all i could see
was Beauty
A Mercy Case 
Wow. Thank you for this.
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[…] I cannot control the immigration policy of wealthy Muslim countries, but I can greet my Rohingya brothers and sisters in my hometown of Chicago as best I know how. My wife and I have donated money to the RCC and intend to give more insha’Allah. Over the last week and a half I got to know the board, the employees, the many volunteers, and most importantly, the kids. I truly hope that the little girls of the RCC like Lala and Zaynab, and the little boys like Yunus and Yusuf, will grow up safe in Chicago. They are far away from the horrific brutality of the Tatmadaw and the lack of welcome experienced by so many Rohingya around the world. May they always be protected, and may their lives be filled with Love and Light. […]