What does refugee mean?

According to the literatures of the UNHCR there isn't answer for that questions: What does refugee mean? What they have only a formal answer for this question: What is refugee?

The formal definition for refugee according the 51 UN convention, Article 1A (2): A refugee is a person who "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country…"

They abbreviated thousands of years and millions of humans' lives just into 3 lines with 55 words!!! After they added new term at 1967 regarding the Internally Displaced Person (IDP)!!! But what is means to be a refugee? And how could for refugee's statue effect humans live? Or how refugee concept effects the type of the life in our history as human beings? I'll try to answer all theses questions and more…

When I asked the people whom working for UNHCR in Beirut office about what is refugee means, they failed to answer me. What surprised me much is that no one knows what is refugee means!!! With my activities on the net for more than one year, I sent thousands of emails everywhere on the net asking about what is refugee means, and unfortunately, until today I didn't get answer! With my own experience, I found that there is big misunderstood for the refugee concept in the world, so that pushed me to explains what refugee means and exactly to explain what is means to be a refugee. Not only in our recent time but also throughout the history. That was one of my motives to write my book.

If you'll try to search for "what is means to be a refugee" so what you'll find?!!! I'll let that for you to discover by yourself.

I'll start with history, because the history is our big teacher and an important source for old wisdom. I did search and simple study for the history of refugee, unfortunately I didn't find much about that in different ages and in different culture, so I'll give you some examples from Islamic history.

As I'm humanitarian I'll start from that point: why we need to respect the refugees' rights? Is it because of the UNHCR and 51UN convention? NO, because there wasn't any UNHCR or conventions before 2574 years ago (like I explained about Dhee Qar, in last chapter) or in the time of the prophet Mohhamed (SA) (I'll explain next in this chapter). So the big question: why there was respect for right of refugees to seek asylum in old history and in different cultures? Especially there wasn't UNHCR or the 51 convention!!!

The answer is simple: the human behavior depends on his needs. If we go back thousands of years to the first days of the beginning of human kind on Earth we will see a frightened animal seeking refuge or shelter in caves to find some security. That creature had little intelligence to understand that by living in communities, he will find more security and to be safe with other creatures whom like him and that will provide him more safety. The reason for that is:

When you live with some one and have some kind of deal or agreement like this one for example: don't start harm the others, so the other will not harm you, like what the [don't start attacks firstly between the countries].
Cooperation between individuals even in small communities will enable those individuals to face more risks and dangers in their life.

The situation is like this: I need security, you need security. I will not attack you, so you'll not attack me. I provide you with security; you'll provide me with security. That happened on bases of equality to exchange the benefits (interesting). I think that explain philosophy our behavior to help and to protect each other. That behavior had developed with time into laws, traditions and regulation to organize out cooperation in our time. I'm sure that the concept of seeking refuge was respectful tradition since the human started to compose communities and when there was conflicts between these communities at prehistory time. I'll continue my studies in that field to find more about that subject and about how the concept of respect the refugee's right had effected the life of human being in different parts of the history.

I explained about the battle of Dhee Qar that happened before 2574 years ago because of refugee and how it effects our life until today. Now I'll speak about the effect of refuge concept on Islam at its early years. History is our great teacher! Studying our history and to penetrate deeply into our ancestors wisdom will give us good lessons and much experience. I'll explain here about how the prophet Mohammad (SA) used the refuge concept to consolidate and spread Islam. What you'll read here, you can't find it anywhere else because nobody dared to speak about!!!

Islam as new religion faced discrimination and disagreement of the unbelievers at its early days. The believers faced many different of persecutions, tortures and death if they refuse to renounce Islam. At the fourth year of prophethood, slowly at first, but steadily accelerated and worsened day by day and month by month until the situation got so extremely grave and no longer tolerable. In the middle of the fifth year, that the Muslims began to seriously think of feasible ways liable to avert the painful tortures meted out to them. It was at that gloomy and desperate time that Ashab Al-Kahf was revealed comprising definite answers to the questions with which the polytheists of Makkah constantly pestered the Prophet (SA). It comprises three stories that include highly suggestive parables for the true believers to assimilate. The story of the Companions of the Cave implies implicit guidance for the believers to evacuate the hot spots of disbelief and aggression pregnant with the peril of enticement away from the true religion:

"(The young men said to one another): "And when you withdraw from them, and that which they worship, except Allah, then seek refuge in the Cave, your Lord will open a way for you from His Mercy and will make easy for you your affair" [Al-Qur'an 18:16].

"Good is (the reward) for those who do good in this world, and Allah’s earth is spacious (so if you cannot worship Allah at a place, then go to another)! Only those who are patient shall receive their rewards in full without reckoning." [Al-Qur'an 39:10].

The Prophet (SA) had already known that Ashamah Negus, king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia, in Africa now), was a fair ruler who would not wrong any of his subordinates, so he permitted some of his followers to seek asylum there in Abyssinia (Ethiopia). In Rajab of the fifth year of Prophethood, a group of twelve men and four women left for Abyssinia (Ethiopia). Among the emigrants were ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan and his wife Ruqaiyah (the daughter of the Prophet (SA)). With respect to these two emigrants, the Prophet (SA) said: "They are the first people to migrate in the cause of Allah after Abraham and Lot."

They sneaked out of Makkah under the heavy curtain of a dark night and headed for the sea where two boats happened to be sailing for Abyssinia (Ethiopia), their destination. News of their intended departure reached the ears of Quraish, so some men were dispatched in their pursuit, but the believers had already left Shuaibah Port towards their secure refuge where they were received warmly and accorded due hospitality.

Those people were the first refugees in the history of Islam. I like to bring your attention to some important points before continuing explaining what that event meant:
One of the refugees was Ruqaiyah, one of prophets' (SA) daughters (he hadn't sons).
Among those refugees was Uthman bin Affan, one of the richest men of first class in Makkah at that time, and he was very well known as merchant and respectful man. In more he was son-of law for the prophet (SA), after he became the 3d caliph for the Moslems (caliph means successor of the prophet (SA), some thing like king of the Moslems).
Among the refugees to Abyssinia, there was Ja'afer, the son of Abu Talib, and brother of Ali, consequently the cousin of Mohammed. He was a man of persuasive eloquence and a most prepossessing appearance.
Those refugees sought asylum in another nation where there was another religion (Christian) and where people don't speak Arabic language!

I’ll explain in details more about these points after you finish reading all the story.

Due to the news that transpired to the Makkans about the good hospitality and warm welcome that the Muslims were accorded in Abyssinia (Ethiopia), the polytheists got terribly indignant and started to mete out severer and more horrible maltreatment and tortures to the Muslims. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah deemed it imperative to permit the helpless creatures to seek asylum in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) for the second time. Migration this time was not as easy as it was the previous time, for Quraish was on the alert to the least suspicious moves of the Muslims. In due course, however, the Muslims managed their affairs too fast for the Quraishites to thwart their attempt of escape. The group of emigrants this time comprised eighty-three men and nineteen or, in some versions, eighteen women. Whether or not ‘Ammar (the adopted son of the prophet (SA)) was included is still a matter of doubt.

Quraish (unbelievers) could not tolerate the prospect of a secure haven available for the Muslims in Abyssinia (Ethiopia), so they dispatched two staunch envoys to demand their extradition. They were ‘Ammr bin Al-‘As and ‘Abdullah bin Abi Rabi‘a before embracing Islam. They had taken with them valuable gifts to the king and his clergy, and had been able to win some of the courtiers over to their side. The pagan envoys claimed that the Muslim refugees should be expelled from Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and made over to them, on the ground that they had abandoned the religion of their forefathers, and their leader was preaching a religion different from theirs and from that of the king.

The king summoned the Muslims to the court and asked them to explain the teachings of their religion. The Muslim refugees had decided to tell the whole truth whatever the consequences were. Ja‘far bin Abi Talib stood up and addressed the king in the following words: "O king! We were plunged in the depth of ignorance and barbarism; we adored idols, we lived in unchastely, we ate the dead bodies, and we spoke abominations, we disregarded every feeling of humanity, and the duties of hospitality and neighborhood were neglected; we knew no law but that of the strong, when Allah raised among us a man, of whose birth, truthfulness, honesty, and purity we were aware; and he called to the Oneness of Allah, and taught us not to associate anything with Him. He forbade us the worship of idols; and he enjoined us to speak the truth, to be faithful to our trusts, to be merciful and to regard the rights of the neighbors and kith and kin; he forbade us to speak evil of women, or to eat the substance of orphans; he ordered us to fly from the vices, and to abstain from evil; to offer prayers, to render alms, and to observe fast. We have believed in him, we have accepted his teachings and his injunctions to worship Allah, and not to associate anything with Him, and we have allowed what He has allowed, and prohibited what He has prohibited. For this reason, our people have risen against us; have persecuted us in order to make us forsake the worship of Allah and return to the worship of idols and other abominations. They have tortured and injured us, until finding no safety among them, we have come to your country, and hope you will protect us from oppression."

The king was very much impressed by these words and asked the Muslims to recite some of Allah’s Revelation. Ja‘far recited the opening verses of Suraht Maryam, wherein is told the story of the birth of both John and Jesus Christ, down to the account of Mary having been fed with the food miraculously. Thereupon the king, along with the bishops of his realm, was moved to tears that rolled down his cheeks and even wet his beard. Here, the Negus exclaimed: "It seems as if these words and those which were revealed to Jesus are the rays of the light which have radiated from the same source." Turning to the crest-fallen envoys of Quraish, he said, "I am afraid, I cannot give you back these refugees. They are free to live and worship in my realm as they please."

On the morrow, the two envoys again went to the king and said that Muhammad and his followers blasphemed Jesus Christ. Again the Muslims were summoned and asked what they thought of Jesus. Ja‘far again stood up and replied: "We speak about Jesus as we have been taught by our Prophet (SA), that is, he is the servant of Allah, His Messenger, His spirit and His Word breathed into Virgin Mary." The king at once remarked, "Even so do we believe. Blessed be you, and blessed be your master." Then turning to the frowning envoys and to his bishops who got angry, he said: "You may fret and fume as you like but Jesus is nothing more than what Ja‘far has said about him." He then assured the Muslims of full protection. He returned to the envoys of Quraish, the gifts they had brought with them and sent them away. The Muslims lived in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) unmolested for a number of years till they returned to Madinah.

The story finished here. In that story we can see clearly the respect of the right to seek asylum and the protection for the refugees. That respect was widely recognized (not like these days), maybe because now we have UNHCR!!!). That story started at 5th year of the prophethood (615 A.D.) that mean before 1388 years ago!

What we can understand from that story? And how it effected the Islam at these old days? I’ll answer in details how important that story was for help spreading Islam and the big wisdom in that story which the prophet Mohammad (SA) used well:

Like you read before the God gave the right for his believers to seek refuge from the persecution and death:

The prophet (SA) was just one man, received mission from God to spread his words and to call for Islam as heavenly religion. The prophet (SA) alone could do nothing, so he needed supporters and followers to help him in spreading Islam. He started to call his family for Islam and after his friends, then the people in his city (MAkkah). The Islam spread between poor people firstly, but the people whom were rich and powerful denounced Islam and persecuted the believers. That was the same in all new religions in the history. The Moslems suffered from tortures and killing at first days. Not every one able to bear the sufferings, torture and missing the security. There was strong believe in God and his prophet (SA) in one side and torture and death in the other side, there must be some kind of balance between the two sides. Balance like military (power), economic (financial) or psychological (moral). The first Moslems were poor and helpless so our God with right provided psychological balance when he gave the right for poor helpless Moslems to seek refuge in another places.

When the prophet (SA) gave permission for his daughter to seek refuge in another place under protection of Christians means much. Firstly, means that no shame in seeking refuge, since even the daughter of the prophet (SA) was refugee. Secondly that shows as that there wasn’t any problem between Islam and Christian as religions. That denounces what some people speaking now that the prophet (SA) call to fight the Christians!

But the important point in that historical story about Moslem refugees was providing validity or veracity for the Islam as heavenly religion. Let me to explain what that's mean:

In our daily life we need some time some kind of prove for some thing we claim, for example to have new work we need to have certification and recommendation as prove for our ability for that work. Before 1388 years ago there wasn’t certifications or recommendations! So what was there I’ll tell you now: There was many kind of religions and believes, Christianity was recognized as heavenly religion even between the Arabs (before Islam and after). The seen of the judgment of the Moslem refugees in front of the Christian king in Abyssinia (Ethiopia now) and his decision about Islam as heavenly religion was important event and considered widely as evident for righteous of what the prophet Mohammad (SA) spoke! Mohammad told many stories in Qur’an about different things and people from old time, the Arabs knew nothing about it at that. So how they could tell if he is right or not. The prove came from a Christian king!!! That story circulated between people at that time as the fire in dried hay.

I hope that story brought more understanding about how possible for refugee case to effect our life. I’ll explain more in next pages because there is more and more we need to understand well.