© 2004 Linda D. Delgado. All rights reserved. Permission from the author is required by law.

“You’ve Got Mail!” Muslims are now offering and receiving support via the Internet as Islam, the fastest growing religion in the world, enters the fastest growing community service center…cyberspace!

While traditional brick and mortar Masajid must still play a major role in providing crisis intervention and assistance, the Internet is becoming a viable partner in the effort. With its immediacy, dependability, privacy, flexibility, availability and international cross-cultural reach, the net is a tool worth implementing in every community.

Muslim Community Services—Beyond the Blame

Too often, Masajid are burdened by factors that lessen their positive impact on those in need. Post 9/11, donations and volunteerism sharply declined due to a widespread fear of being placed on governmental watch lists or inadvertently having charity funneled to support “terrorism”. The focus of the guiding Boards of Directors has shifted to building construction and maintenance. Tired of renting facilities from non-Muslims (often holding Salaat-ul Jum’ah in churches or schools), struggling communities pour every penny into purchasing a permanent prayer space. Those towns and cities fortunate enough to have a Masjid proper face shortages due to the expansion and growth of the Muslim population—a problem we pray continues unabated as more people embrace the religion of Truth, but a problem nonetheless.

Adding to the deficits in tangible resources, Masajid are sometimes unwilling to accept, seek or have the input of their women members—the members most in-tune with the social dimension of the ummah. Though dedicated, a majority of those involved with the affairs of the Masajid work diligently on the business aspects of running a Mosque, leaving the service side—the human side—entirely unattended. Leaders are quick to lay blame at the feet of September 11th for the failure to help the jobless, seniors, abandoned, disadvantaged, homeless, hungry, destitute and ailing members of our society. However, the tragedy of 9/11 merely exacerbated and underscores a pre-existing condition: lack of staff, lack of know-how, lack of funds and lack of dedication to providing more than a ‘meeting hall’ often leads to a lack of safety-nets for Muslims falling through the cracks.

This is the battleground, a tricky maneuvering stage with the dispossessed Muslims caught in the middle. Some have been shuffled off to secular or other religious organizations. These Muslims are exposed to a loss of dignity, an invasion of their home and family lives, a ream of confusing forms to fill out, the sometimes demeaning attitude of some social workers and to the dangers of proselytizing in exchange for the proffered succor. Others, perhaps the fortunate ones, are ignored all together, a blight best swept under the rug.

Muslim Community Services—The New Warriors

Enter the loosely knit yet tightly connected sisters and brothers of the Internet. When a call for help moves outside the walls of a Masjid and into their realm, it is answered, forwarded, coordinated and resolved by these individuals who ask for neither reward nor recognition beyond what is due from Allah. Honing and wielding cyberspace like a hand of mercy, these Muslims facilitate and overcome the challenges faced by debilitated Masajid resources.

Bonds of trust are formed immediately because the contacts are person to person, initiated and passed on by friends, co-workers or e-group members familiar with each other. Donors have the confidence their charity will reach the target and will do so swiftly, accurately and with no intrusion to their privacy. The Muslim seeking help is relieved of the burden of shame, though none applies, by being able to interface with more anonymity once the veracity of their request is checked before release to the net

Gone are the days of impersonal answering machines or waiting for the Masajid business hours. There is no longer a need for fancy office suites when any phone jack will do. Cyberspace has bridged the gap between strained local communities and the larger worldwide Muslim family to reinforce the unity and belief of charity held so dear in Islam…“And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive, (Saying),’We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks.’ ” Welcome to www.HelpingTheUmmah.now – the new era of Muslim Community Services!

*Holy Qur’an 76:8-9