Ramadan calls humanity to its highest values. As the month draws to a close and war rages in the Middle East, Islamic Relief Worldwide’s CEO calls on world leaders to agree a global ceasefire for Eid.
By Iftikhar Ahmad Shaheen
The holy month of Ramadan reminds us who we are called to be. It is when we remember God through worship, good deeds, and compassion. At Islamic Relief, I’ve seen our staff and volunteers embody the Ramadan spirit by working even harder than usual to deliver aid so those less fortunate can break their fast in dignity.
Eid is meant to be a time for celebration, family and joy. But this year our celebrations are muted. We are seeing the most dangerous military escalation in a generation, pushing an already volatile Middle East to breaking point and exacerbating famine and suffering far beyond the region. The longer this war continues, the deeper its impacts will be.
Over the next few weeks, people of all faiths will mark major religious moments with grief, fear and uncertainty – whether Muslims for Eid, Christians for Lent and Easter, or the Jewish Passover, all of which are rooted in humanity and restraint.
I pray that world leaders embody these values and agree a ceasefire so that people can celebrate without fear of bombs or starvation.
As I write, Islamic Relief’s team in Lebanon is working around the clock to deliver food and water to displaced families while missiles rain down nearby. Families have been bombed while having iftar to break their fast, and aid workers bombed as they try to help them. Older and sick people will be spending Eid or Lent sleeping on the streets as there is nowhere safe to go.
In Gaza, people continue to suffer but global attention has abandoned them. Most crossings in and out have been shut during Ramadan, blocking vital supplies and preventing treatment for critically ill children and cancer patients.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is choking global food and fuel supply and making it harder for humanitarian agencies to get aid to people. In Sudan, where nearly 3 years of war has created the world’s biggest hunger crisis, families on the verge of famine are now terrified of further shortages and rising prices. Countries like Somalia, where a severe drought is killing children and livestock, rely heavily on imports of grain and fertilisers that are now at risk. Even here in the United Kingdom where Islamic Relief is based, the price of fuel is already rising, forcing the poorest families to choose between heating or eating.
The war in the Middle East is costing an estimated US$1 billion a day – a huge amount that could save and transform millions of lives if spent on aid rather than bombs.
It is hard not to despair. But Ramadan reminds us that the values the world needs most – compassion, solidarity, the obligation of the powerful to protect the vulnerable – have outlasted every crisis in human history. They will outlast this one too.
I’m heartened by the generosity of the ummah, the global Muslim community. Thanks to our supporters, throughout Ramadan we’ve been able to deliver food parcels to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people in 34 countries – from Sudan to Gaza, from Malawi to Nepal. Without this support, many of these families would struggle to find food to break their fast.
Many have also chosen this moment to fulfil their zakat: a sacred pillar of the faith that transforms individual obligation into collective salvation. As more governments turn inward and cut aid budgets, Muslim communities are yet again living their faith and fulfilling their obligations to the poor.
The magnitude of the challenges ahead means we have to be united, and I’m thankful for the collaborative spirit of the wider humanitarian sector. In the past few weeks our partnership with Misr El Kheir Foundation has delivered thousands of Ramadan parcels to families in Egypt and Gaza, while together with Qatar Charity we have delivered parcels in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Allah promises us that ‘with hardship comes ease’, and I pray that Eid brings protection and comfort to all people around the world. Thank you to everyone who has helped us provide a lifeline for people in crisis this Ramadan.
