This is a time to show up in solidarity with refugees ? in line with Muslim, Jewish, and Christian traditions.

In a moment of rising virulent hatred towards refugees, not to mention heartless indifference, we must all proclaim: 

Moses, Mary, Jesus, and the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Upon Them All) were all refugees, cast out, seeking freedom and safe harbor.

Sadly, the world in 2023 and 2024 needs a reminder of these facts more urgently than ever:

We?ve seen the horror of Israel bombing Palestinians in Jenin, a refugee camp, without condemnation or withdrawal of US military aid from the US Congress.

We?ve seen the refusal of refugees like the Rohingya, with families stranded, separated, made to live in unthinkable conditions, or even forced to return to war zones. 

We?ve seen the current administration champion and build on brutal Trump border policies like Title 42, propose expanded anti-asylum-seeker rules, and ignore calls to reunite the families kept apart by the Muslim and African Bans.

And, terrifyingly, we?ve seen former President Trump promise a new, even more horrific version of the Muslim ban, an end to birthright citizenship, and completing his border wall.

A reminder is needed:

Moses led the Jewish people to freedom. 

Mary gave birth to Jesus in hiding, and in the Islamic tradition, the people ridiculed her as she came back to the city with a new baby in her arms and no father. 

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) stayed in Mecca for as long as he could, and it was only after numerous attempts on his life, and amid an oppressive force that wished to eradicate the Muslims from the earth, that he finally migrated to Medina. 

But it is that migration (Hijra) that marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. Year 1 for the Muslims begins with that first step towards refuge, a new life, and a new hope.

The proceeds from the sales of this shirt will go to support MPower Change, a grassroots movement rooted in diverse Muslim communities across the United States who are working together to build social, spiritual, racial, and economic justice for all people.?