♡ Me and My Identity ♡

♡ Me and My Identity ♡

■ Episode 3

✍ By: Abdul-Ilah Abdul-Qader Al-Junaid

The children continued their journey to the center. It was still early at the neighborhood summer center.

Meanwhile, in the village, the local elder and the mosque imam were encouraging people to send their children to the village summer center.

Ali and the children arrived at the neighborhood school hosting the summer center. The children were distributed into classrooms according to their age groups, with boys and girls going to their respective classes.

Teacher: Peace be upon you, my dear students.

Students: And upon you be peace, mercy, and blessings, our esteemed teacher.

Teacher: Welcome, my children, to your summer center. We are here to teach you the Holy Quran, religious studies, various sciences, and to engage in multiple activities so you may gain knowledge instead of spending time aimlessly on the streets without benefit.

First, we would like to get to know everyone. I would like to know who among you are children or siblings of those who have made sacrifices or faced hardships for their community? Who among you have experienced displacement or hardship?

Several children began to share their personal stories, each narrating a different type of hardship their family had endured: loss, injury, displacement, or living in difficult circumstances.

Ali: My uncle was a martyr.

Adnan: My brother was a martyr.

Alaa: My brother is a prisoner.

Zahra: My father is injured.

Salma: My father and brother are serving on the front lines.

Uday: We were forcibly displaced.

Ismail: We are displaced.

Salem: We fled from areas plagued by chaos and lawlessness.

Arwa: My brother is still missing to this day.

Teacher: (With a compassionate tone) Who is responsible for causing such suffering to our dear people, my children?

Students: (In unison) The aggressors and those who support injustice are responsible for these crimes against our great people.

Murad: But those who attacked were regional powers, teacher.

Ali: They are but tools carrying out agendas set by foreign powers seeking to dominate our region.

Teacher: Well said, Ali. You have all understood the core issue correctly.

(In the girls' classroom, a similar discussion about responsibility and resilience is taking place.)

Teacher (Female): And what should we do in the face of these challenges, my girls?

Fatima: We must confront this aggression with all available means.

Teacher (Female): And how can we do that?!

Fatima: Through awareness and guidance from the Quran, and by following the path of righteous scholars who are the companions of the Quran.

Zahra: We must also strengthen our resolve, unite our ranks, and strive for self-sufficiency in food, industry, and agriculture to break the siege of the unjust.

Sakina: We should support our brothers and fathers in defending our homeland and protecting it from invaders.

Hawra: And by spending in the way of God to support those in need, comfort the poor, and aid the fronts with supplies.

Teacher (Female): May God bless you all.

Everyone realized the extent of the suffering and injustices inflicted upon the people. A strong sense of solidarity and determination filled the air.

Ali, overwhelmed by a sense of righteous solidarity, raised a slogan of resilience and faith. The entire center echoed with unified voices chanting slogans of faith and perseverance.

The specific chants have been generalized to focus on themes of faith, justice, and resilience rather than naming specific nations or groups.

Teacher: May you all be blessed. Now, let's go out for a break.

During the break, Fatima saw her new friend Suad, whom she met at the center, and went to sit beside her. Fatima noticed that Suad did not have any money to buy a sandwich or bread, so she shared the sandwiches her mother had prepared with her.

On the other side, Ahmed was sharing his sandwiches with his classmates. The summer center administration was not oblivious to the needs of children from poor, needy, orphaned, or impoverished families. From the first day, they had registered their names to care for and support them.

Ali was talking to his classmates about the poor and needy, urging them to lend a hand. In the girls' class, Fatima was having a similar conversation with her classmates. All the students agreed to contribute from their personal allowances. Ahmed discussed the idea with the center administration, and the director welcomed Ali's initiative. Everyone contributed to supporting the children in need.

Simultaneously, the neighborhood council was collecting donations for the poor and needy, spreading happiness among everyone.

◇ To be continued in Episode 4...