New Year's Resolve

The evening of June 26 marked the beginning of a new year. The Islamic New Year, also called the Hijri New Year, is a lunar new year commemorating the Prophet Mohamed's journey from Mecca to Medina. On June 26th, the Board meeting of the Interfaith Shelter Network of San Diego (ISN) began with the traditional reflection by a board member. This time, ISN board member and Religious Director of the Islamic Center of San Diego (www.icsd.org), Imam Taha Hassane shared a reflection on the significance of this day for Muslims. The Imam shared that this day marks a momentous migration undertaken by the Prophet and the early Muslim community that has enormous significance in the history of Islam. He observed that the idea of migration in the pursuit of faith is common in many traditions especially in the Abrahamic faiths. 

The prophets traveled to new lands, either to preach or to escape tyranny and religious persecution. Abraham journeyed from Northern Iraq to the Holy Land; Moses left the tyranny of Egypt; As a child Jesus fled to Egypt and then returned to the Sea of Galilee. The Islamic New Year marks the Prophet's journey from Mecca to Medina, which was a pivotal moment in the history of Islam and indeed of the world. The Prophet's migration, also known as Hijra, eventually led to the rapid spread of Islam across the Arabian peninsula and beyond.

However, the story of migration for faith is not just a historical fact. It is a contemporary reality as it continues to happen to this day. Many families and clans can relate a story of migration either from their own experience or from the experiences of a parent or grandparent.

Just as the Abrahamic faiths commemorate migration, so also do they share the exhortation to welcome the stranger, to care for the traveler, and to extend kindness to one on a journey. Imam Hassane shared, "This is more than a message from a preacher in a pulpit...this is a reality on the ground, a truth lived out by the people."

A unifying principle at Interfaith Shelter Network is our common belief that all people deserve compassion, respect, shelter and support. A warm welcome is what guests find from congregations in the Rotational Shelter. A haven is what domestic violence survivors find at El Nido Transitional Housing. On one level or another, we all know what it is like to journey, to be in between places guided by hope, and to need a helping and hospitable hand.

We are living in a time when it is dangerous to be on a journey, migrating from one place to another. You and your faith community can meet these uncertain times with your faith-based values. We urge you to join the Rotational Shelter as a host or support congregation, or sponsor an event for the families at El Nido.

Today is a new day, a new chance to live out our values and to help create a new beginning for someone in need.