Gaza to Bradford: You Chant for Martyrs But Spill Blood at Home

The streets were meant to be buzzing with joy. Eid was supposed to be a day of prayers, laughter, food, and forgiveness. But instead, the sound of takbir was drowned out by sirens. Outside a mosque in Bradford, a 19-year-old Muslim youth was stabbed to death — on Eid. Let that sink in — blood spilled right where hands should’ve been raised in prayer.

Everyone’s shocked. Everyone’s hurt. But truth be told, very few are willing to do anything real about it. They’ll repost a quote, maybe drop a sad emoji, hold a vigil, and pray Janazah Salah — which all the street boys turn up to, but very few actually know the prayer. And when the hype fades, we all go back to the same streets, the same silence, the same cycle — talking about “change” without being the change.

The Muslim Youth & Crime: Let’s Be Honest

Here’s a bitter truth that needs saying: some Muslim youth are now topping the charts — not in grades or greatness, but in crime stats. Knife crime. Gang beef. Drug running. Murder. And it’s Muslims — the ones who still say “As-salaamu Alaikum” as they pass you with a blade tucked in their waistband.

You protest against injustice in Gaza. You chant for the martyrs. You raise fists for the children under rubble. But on your own streets, in your own communities, you spill blood without hesitation. Gaza’s youth face tanks and drones and still walk with dignity. You? You’ll stab over Snapchat stories, powder, and postcode wars. That’s not bravery — that’s cowardice wrapped in ego.

You act like you fear no consequences — but you clearly fear nothing greater than being disrespected on social media. Do you even realise what you’ve done? The Prophet ﷺ said the life of a believer is more sacred than the Kaaba itself. One drop of blood. One. More beloved to Allah than the walls of the holy sanctuary. And yet, you drop each other like it’s nothing. Like it’s a game. Like life is disposable.

You’ve Forgotten Who You Are

You’ve fallen far. This ain’t Islam. This is soul rot. You think you’re a man because you’ve got “ops”? Real men are in Gaza, even half your age — holding it down, hungry, injured, hunted — but they stand up with dignity. Not for likes or beef, but for truth. They know they might not make it tomorrow, but they stand firm today. That’s principles.

Let’s be clear: the youth of Gaza, under siege, show more character and honour than you do while walking free in the West. They stand up for something. You fall for everything. Their principles don’t bend with trends. Yours flip depending on who’s watching.

Where’s your sense of brotherhood now? You’ll wear a keffiyeh one day and a balaclava the next. You’ll tweet #FreePalestine with one hand and hold a blade in the other. What part of Islam is this? Where in the Sunnah is this duality taught? It’s not just Islam you’ve abandoned — it’s your own soul too.

You Can Be So Much More

What hurts most is this: you have so much potential. You’re smart. You’ve got swagger. You speak two languages. You know the streets and you know the deen. You can be ambassadors of Islam, making da’wah to this broken society. Instead, you’ve adopted its worst traits: me, myself, and I. Every choice is about your image, your respect, your bag — no ummah, no vision, no bigger picture.

Imagine if you flipped the script. Imagine if instead of beefing with each other, you stood together — solid, disciplined, unapologetically Muslim — and showed this country what Islam really looks like. You want to be respected? Then live like someone worth respecting.

Wake Up Before You’re a Janazah Poster

Stop glorifying nonsense. There’s nothing legendary about dying over ego. No one wins when a mother cries over a son in the morgue. The Ummah needs real men, not statistics. If you’re serious about Gaza, about Islam, about justice — drop the blade. Pick up your soul. Be part of something bigger and better.

Your life is either a mercy — or a warning. Choose wisely.

Du‘ā’ for Junaid

We ask Allah ﷻ to have mercy on our young brother Junaid.
May Allah forgive his sins, illuminate his grave, and grant him a place in Jannat al-Firdaws.
May He reunite Junaid with his loved ones in the highest ranks of Paradise.

And we pray for his family:
May Allah pour patience (sabr) into their hearts, replace their sorrow with peace, and make their loss a means of eternal reward.

Ameen.