Blessed are the Peacemakers

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim

Beloved Dervishes,

And the Spirit of God, may he be enveloped in Divine peace, spoke these words to the people.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

9/11 is now happening and has been happening for some time all over the globe to so many people in so many countries.

Prayer, peacemaking, trust, humbleness, compassion and reaching out to others is our response.

And the disciples said, “Write us down among those who bear witness to the Truth and who offer their lives to the Truth.”

…

I was not intending to write anything for today, 9/11. I truly feel that 9/11 is all over the world. So many people are suffering, so many people are the victims of injustice and hatred and ignorance. So many people are caught in the web of war and conflict that they are not responsible for. So many people are the victims of parasitic governments. So many creatures too are suffering at the hands of people. Beautiful creatures formed by Divine love are pushed out and are disappearing. Ancient trees are cut down for newspaper. Palm oil plantations (one of the worst afflictions) are put in place like giant malls destroying rain forests and all their millions of inhabitants. The creatures that we keep for our consumption are mistreated and abused as though they have no dignity or worth apart from the benefit they bring to us. Slavery is everywhere in every form. Sexual slavery, economic slavery, social slavery, prison slavery.... And the wheels of profit keep turning and churning, crushing people in debt and despair. And how are we inspiring our youth? to be consumers and producers and slaves of a system that does not benefit them or care for them. This is the true 9/11. What is one 9/11 when there are ten thousand 9/11's going on simultaneously? So I had nothing to say about today. Until I was in afternoon salat, and the phrase 'Blessed are the peacemakers' came to my heart. And again in the maghrib salat of sunset came 'Blessed are the peacemakers.' And I knew it was about this day. it was about the human suffering and the suffering that humans cause. it was the way to heal. Making peace, with our self, with our family, with nature, with people, with human nature which has such destructive power in it. Making peace by standing for justice. By protecting wilderness. By protecting creatures. By protecting and helping people. Sometimes by protecting others from ourself. Making peace by doing beautiful things, inspired things. Making peace with beauty, making peace with Love. making peace with our vulnerability and unattractiveness. Peacemaking.

…

And peacemaking is only possible for us because there is One who is Peace, Ya Salam, Who has always been Peace and Who will always be Peace, the One Who abides in our essential heart of Peace, Dar as Salam. The essence of peacemaking is with our Lord and Lover, Mother/Father, Source of life, All Knowing Eternal Light, Boundless Compassion and Forgiveness, Supreme Love. True Peace is prostrating with our whole being before that One, and bowing with our whole being before the Sacred Life of that One in all beings.

May never ending Peace flow upon the Messenger of Peace, the beloved praised one, his family and companions, and upon all the Messengers and Mothers of Peace, and upon all the vessels of Peace throughout time and eternity.

Ya Salam Ya Salam Ya Salam

…

I do not in any way mean to diminish the scope and tragedy of 9/11. It was horrific and devastating and never something we can forget. One of our own dervishes, Nafisa, was in one of the Towers that collapsed. She walked down 99 floors with other fortunate ones who decided to leave. Their tragedy and their heroism is to be honored until the end of time - the fire fighters, the police, the ones who came to help, the victims, the families! What I do not honor is the explanation of how this huge tragedy came about.

Fariha