UN General Assembly
2015

The eightieth chapter of the Koran, the surah ‘Abasa, opens with God criticizing the Prophet Muhammad — whom we Muslims regard as God’s Beloved — because he frowned and turned away when one of his followers, a poor blind man, interrupted him to ask a question while he was preaching to a rich and powerful unbeliever. If God promptly rebuked the Prophet Muhammad, how much more do we — especially we the leaders of the Muslim world — stand to be rebuked by our Creator if we frown and turn away from our fellow Muslims, those who are poor and marginalized and are now fleeing Syria in massive numbers, causing social and economic distress in Europe? Are we not then partially responsible for the ensuing European hostility directed at Islam, the faith we love, and at our fellow Muslims?