Pillars Fund
An October Reflection: What We’ve Witnessed and What Lies Ahead
/ October 6, 2024
Our world feels like it has changed so drastically in the last year, but we know none of this is new. Rather, it is an intensification of injustices that have persisted for generations. The images of suffering and destruction have left us stunned and with so much to say for the world to hear. As we continue to fight for a more just, equitable and peaceful world, two Pillars team members most deeply and personally impacted by the ongoing suffering, loss of life and displacement in Palestine and Lebanon share what’s on their minds and in their hearts at this moment.
Faith in the Divine Plan
The first thing we do when we become Muslim or renew our Islam is say the shahada– meaning we bear witness. In The Quran, Allah begins Surat All Burooj condemning the unjust by swearing on those who witness. He says:
“By the sky full of constellations,
And the promised day of justice,
And the witness and what is witnessed.”
Witnessing is an essential part of our tradition. It is the most necessary step of being Muslim: to recognize and testify to haqq, or the divine truth. In my childhood home, I was raised to believe that the first thing Allah ever created was the meezan, the scale of justice. That all things will ultimately end in balance. In Surat Al-Nisa, Allah says:
“Believers! Be upholders of justice, and bearers of witness to truth for the sake of Allah, even if it is against yourselves or against your parents and kinsmen, or the rich or the poor.”
It would be spiritually dishonest not to tell you that in the past twelve months, what I have witnessed in Palestine, Yemen, Sudan, Congo, Syria, North Carolina, and the crescent of fertile land I am proud to call my native Lebanon has nearly broken me more times than I count. But the fearlessness and integrity I’ve observed from loved ones drawing upon all faith traditions in the face of grave injustice has never failed to put me back together.
This year I have been working hard to build my tawakkul, to strengthen my trust in God and His plan. To remember that He says “Be,” and it is. That at any moment, the space between what the world is and what I believe the world should be will close at His command. Allah told me He is closer to me than my jugular vein; He knows what I yearn for better than I know it myself. Now that the veils have been stripped away so I can only behold God, I can finally say I believe Him.
— Arij Mikati, Managing Director of Culture Change
Gratitude for Our People
This past year has shown us both the depths of heartbreak and the heights of resilience within our ummah. We have witnessed an unbreakable conviction that fills our hearts with both pain and awe for the capacity of the human spirit. We have watched as our people flood the streets—raising their voices and demanding justice. We have seen educators share their truth in classrooms despite the mounting pressures to stay silent, and artists create powerful works that refuse to let the world look away. We have witnessed our community stand together, day after day, refusing to back down. Our community is teaching us moral clarity, fierce determination and courage.
We’ve seen young people organizing sit-ins and encampments on campuses across the country, going toe to toe with those doing all they can to silence them. We’ve seen families open their homes for iftars, bringing communities together to raise awareness and support, and friends giving together to fund medical aid. People have risked their livelihoods, faced threats to their civil rights, and endured relentless attempts to stifle their voices. And yet, they have persisted—undaunted, unbroken, and unwavering. Thank you.
To all afflicted people whose resilience lights our way, we owe you our most profound respect and endless gratitude. Your courage in the face of unimaginable atrocities is our guiding star. Families in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, Congo, and beyond despite losing everything, still find ways to hold onto each other, still find moments to smile, still find reasons to hope amidst the devastation, and to teach us life. Parents comfort their children under the roar of bombs, whispering du’as when it seems like there is no hope left. Doctors work against all odds in makeshift hospitals, saving lives in impossible circumstances and refusing to give up. When our strength falters, we look to them. Their perseverance and ability to hold onto joy in the face of destruction remind us of the power and beauty of our ummah—a community that refuses to be broken.
We must keep moving forward, inspired by the courage of the Palestinian people, whose voices sing of hope and freedom. Our defiance has shown us that resistance is not only a struggle against oppression but also for the preservation of joy, hope, and our shared humanity.
— Nadia Ismail, Director of People & Operations
We extend our deepest gratitude to Arij and Nadia for their offerings of inspiration, unwavering resolve, and for their leadership on our team and beyond.
We know that our struggle for liberation for people in Palestine, Lebanon, and around the world begins right here at home—in our communities, in our institutions, and in our own hearts. This is a moment that calls on us to bear witness and reflect. And this is a moment that requires us to use our outrage and grief to take action.
Pillars Fund reaffirms our commitment to mobilize resources for our vibrant community of Muslim visionaries who are demanding better from our leaders and helping us reimagine our collective future. Your determination and tenacity encourages us to keep going in the face of injustice and uncertainty. And your courage reminds us of the strength we can find in our solidarity, in our communities’ creativity, and in our faith.