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[ Saturday, August 09, 2003 ]

 

Yesterday I did something I am not very proud of.

We girls spent the day together hanging out, swinging at the park, eating out in Berkeley, and then going to the Unity Halaqa in Oakland. While we were in Berkeley, we decided to eat dinner at Meisha's Gyros (formerly known as Habibi's) since they have zabihah chicken and lamb gyros. Alhamdulillah they were so good! While we were eating outside, a homeless man started rummaging through the garbage can right next to our table in order to find some food. I felt so guilty about ordering really great food while the man right next to us was eating garbage, but we all pretended not to notice him, and he eventually left. I felt so bad afterwards; I could have been more sensitive. I should have at least ordered him some zabihah food. I had enough money for it. I can't believe that I just ignored him until he left. What kind of Muslim am I if I'm willing to eat my fill while the person next to me remains hungry?

There are so many homeless people in Berkeley and San Francisco. I'm usually the type of person who wants to help every single homeless person I see...I remember in Pakistan it was so hard for me to ignore people's pleas for money. I know some people say that it's not good to give money to the homeless because they tend to spend it on drugs and alcohol. Others say that by giving money to the homeless, we're not helping them out of their situation to make something better of themselves; instead we're perpetuating the cycle. Regardless of what others say, I still think it's good to at least feed a homeless person...After all, don't we all get hungry? They're still human beings and should be treated as such.

I wish I had bought that man some food yesterday.

I hope going to Cal and seeing vendors and the homeless on the street everyday doesn't start making me insensitive. I hope insha Allah in a year I still feel like feeding the homeless.

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