You may have seen pictures of homeless
people who live on the streets, but the thought may have never entered
your mind that some of those homeless people could be Muslims, particularly
Muslim women. In fact, there has been a noted increase in homelessness
among Muslim women and their children in recent years due to the amount
of American women converting to Islam and women being brought into the
United States from overseas.
Sister Jamilah Ibrahim, a 50-year-old
ex-correctional officer and former shelter worker who is now the dorm mother
for the H.O.M.S. Shelter (a temporary shelter for Muslim women and their
children) states that the most common causes for Muslim women who face
homelessness in the United States are:
1. Women who have converted to Islam
struggling with complete rejection from their non-Muslim families when
they embrace Islam, and as a result, it leaves them with no family or friend
to turn to when in need.
2. Women who have married men from
overseas and have been abandoned after the man has received his green card,
even though they are practicing Muslimahs.
3. Single and older women who live
from paycheck to paycheck and become ill and unable to pay their rent and
living expenses.
4. Women from overseas who do not
speak English, have no job skills and are forced to assume the role of
providing for the household.
5. Women who are subject to severe
physical abuse.
Sister Jamilah Ibrahim went
on to add: ‘Typically, most of these women also have young children.’
The options that these women face
can be disastrous to not only their religion, but also to themselves and
their children’s safety. The majority of all shelters in the United States
are funded and operated by Christian missionaries. ‘These shelters provide
no privacy for women. They are forced into groups with men, even in the
sleeping arrangements. They only provide a place to go at night, but during
the day, everyone is back out on the streets, no matter how cold it is.
Also, these shelters invite them to Bible classes and prayer groups regularly.’
said Sister Taniyah ‘Abdu’l-Rahman, the Director of the H.O.M.S.
Shelter.
Alhamdulillah, there is a solution
to this crisis and one that is being implemented. A non-profit organization
called H.O.M.S. (Housing Outreach for Muslim Sisters) was founded in May
of 1999 in Arlington, Texas. The H.O.M.S. shelter offers homeless Muslim
women and their children with a safe Islamic living environment, transportation,
Islamic education, Islamic clothing, and job training (including training
to work from home). H.O.M.S. also assists sisters who wish to marry (after
they compete their ‘Iddah, if necessary) in finding a practicing
Muslim husband. Residents are required to follow detailed guidelines, which
include adhering to the Qur’an and the Sunnah in their manners,
dress and daily living, in addition to working on a plan of action that
will enable them to support themselves and their children in future, if
marriage is not an option.
All residents are first screened,
and references are checked before they are allowed to move into the facility.
‘Screening is necessary to ensure the safety of all residents and references
are essential to verify each situation. We want to help as many sisters
who are genuinely needy as we possibly can.’ explained H.O.M.S. board member,
Sister Susan Ellenberg. Currently, the H.O.M.S. shelter houses up to 5
women and their children, and is located in a temporary rented building.
H.O.M.S. is presently attempting to raise sufficient funds to purchase
a permanent facility with a security system, which will house up to 50
women and their children. The goal of their project is to raise at least
$200,000 for a permanent shelter. The Qur’an urges us to help the
needy:
It is not piety that you turn your faces toward east
or west; but piety is [the quality of] the one who believes in Allah, the
Last Day, the Angels, the Books, the Prophets and gives his wealth, in
spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, orphans, the poor and to the wayfarer,
and to those who ask… (2:177)
In the past, Muslim women have had no
place to turn for assistance in this country. A 32-year-old former resident
of the H.O.M.S. shelter embraced Islam 4 years ago and had lost her job.
‘It gave us (the residents) a place to go in an Islamic environment and
also gave us the ability to work on ourselves Islamically while we worked
to get our lives back on track…’ She had no family to depend on, and had
learnt about H.O.M.S. by way of a friend who had seen the H.O.M.S. web
site on the Internet. When asked what the shelter meant to her, she simply
said: ‘It gives me a feeling of comfort to know that if I ever had a situation
again, I know I would have a safe place to go.’
Another sister, 53-year-old Ela Aisha
Euins, said that she had also been in similar situations many times. The
first time she recalled was shortly after she embraced Islam and had begun
wearing the Hijab. She had married a man who was not a practicing
Muslim. ‘He left me by myself and went to his country for 5 years. I was
forced to ask for help from the Salvation Army because I didn’t know where
else to go.’ H.O.M.S. Director, Sister Taniyah ‘Abdu’l-Rahman commented
further on the issue, stating: ‘We have had to get sisters with newborn
infants out of the Salvation Army. One sister was dropped off at her baby’s
doctor’s appointment by her husband and was never picked up or contacted
again by him, she did not even speak English.’
Many sisters feel embarrassed to go
to a mosque for financial aid, and often these women need more than just
monetary assistance. Former residents of H.O.M.S. and single sisters who
have been in similar situations all stated that they needed emotional and
religious support in addition to financial aid when confronted with desperate
circumstances. Many sisters mentioned that they felt inferior due to their
situation and therefore shy to ask for help. Moreover, some sisters were
unaware there was any help available at all. Mosques surveyed are not prepared
to handle such situations, and only offered short-term solutions that would
not last a woman and her children more than just a few days at best.
Aminah Minor, the Director
of S.A.D.A. (The Sisters Association for Da‘wah in Arlington), a
local Muslim women’s organization says: ‘A place like H.O.M.S. gives these
women safety, security and a sense of family and belonging, because they
are all in similar situations. They are able to share their experiences
and give each other encouragement. It is important for Muslim women, especially
in America, to get support from one another.’
Christian Churches control almost
every homeless shelter in the United States; every one of those shelters
house criminals, drug addicts, alcohol abusers, prostitutes and child molesters.
It is a fact that these shelters are an extremely dangerous place for adult
men, let alone women and children. It is the obligation of every Muslim
in the United States and abroad to wake up to this alarming situation that
is happening to our sisters in Islam. It is our obligation to take care
of these sisters and their young children. The Qur’an urges us:
So give to the kindred his due, and to the poor and to
the wayfarer. That is best for those who seek Allah’s Countenance; and
it is they who will be successful. (30:38)
Please assist H.O.M.S. in purchasing
a permanent facility by donating at least $100.00
You can help put a safe roof over the heads of your Muslim sisters
and their children. Your donation can literally mean the difference between
sleeping on the street or in a safe bed.
Postal Address:
H.O.M.S
P.O. BOX 152611
Arlington, Texas 76015
Direct Deposits and Wire Transfers:
Bank One
Account Number: 1577586991
Routing Number for Wire Transfers and Deposits is: 111000614 – Batch
#15460
Website: http://www.geocities.com/homs99
Email: homsoutreach@hotmail.com
Call Toll-free: 1-877-335-4667
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