Good afternoon. Our first item of business is time for reflection, for which our leader is Ali Hussnain, co-chair of the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society—SABS.
Presiding Officer and members of the Scottish Parliament, as-salaamu ’alaikum—peace be upon you—and thank you for the privilege of being able to lead this time for reflection.
I am an ordinary proud Scot. By profession, I am a software technology director, but I speak as a Shia Muslim who has volunteered with SABS in local communities across the central belt for 14 years.
I want to share the driving force for our charity’s work, which is a principle from the Islamic tradition. The Noble Lady Fatima, daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, who is recognised for her commitment, more than a millennium ago, to the dignity and wellbeing of ordinary people, said that before one’s household comes one’s neighbour. All faiths share a similar principle. What is the intimation? It speaks to the observance of compassion, inviting us to spare a thought for, and extend a hand to, our neighbours, regardless of who they may be—to look beyond the walls of our own households at our neighbourhoods, which constitute 40 houses from one’s own in every direction.
I believe that some approximation of that principle drives you, as elected members of the Scottish Parliament, irrespective of your political leaning or background. It is a principle that you share with not only me but one another. I believe that you, those who came before you and those who will come after you possess a deep concern for the wellbeing of the communities and neighbourhoods that you represent. My food for thought is the conjecture that, if each and every Scot were to embody that principle, taking responsibility for the wellbeing of their many neighbours, we would flourish. Loving one’s neighbour might represent a defining value in the culture that you and I aspire to.
That matters, because our nation faces serious challenges, pressures and divisions, which are not abstractions but lived struggles—or tragedies, as we have lately seen. A neighbourly duty of care empowers us to contribute to the solution. I believe that that is our collective superpower: a compassion that invites us to co-operate to look after one another, irrespective of differences.
For instance, seek out and support the work in your neighbourhoods that makes a difference and benefits locals. The charity that I lead supports communities through, for example, distributing meals to those in need and by saving hundreds of lives annually through our Imam Hussain blood donation campaign, in partnership with the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service—an outcome that benefits all and discriminates against none.
My take, for reflection beyond just the chamber, is that, were every Scot to care for their neighbours, they would be cared for and Scotland not only would be made resilient to the trials of today, but would rise to the opportunities of tomorrow.
[Applause.]
Thank you very much indeed.
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Business Motion