The Socio-Economics of Eid Sweets

Earlier, I stopped by Indus Food (Burtonsville location). It is my preferred spot for halal meat, spices, and naan. But today, I was there for mithai. (These are a class of very sweet Pakistani sweets. Their appearance, in many cases, is very similar to American fudge. However, the preparation is quite dissimilar, as mithai employs little to no butter, and is instead composed primarily of milk and sugar, with nuts and other ingredients added for flavor.)

There were few people in Indus Food, not nearly as many as I've seen there in previous years, so close to the Eid. Instead of the older "uncle" who frequently attends to the cash register, it was a young Muslim man. Similarly, Muslim youth were filling other positions in the store. Our faith teaches us to protect our elders, and I was glad to see this in action. But- there was NO fresh mithai!

I was looking specifically for Habshi Halwa, (these are chestnut brown-colored rectangles) and Kalakan (milky white rectangles, which especially look like fudge) for the Eid. But, aside from a big, open tray of gulab jaman and another of rasgolay, there was zero fresh mithai. Those two, and a frozen mithai sampler was all that was in the offing! And, as any authentic Pakistani knows, mithai doesn't freeze well.

Then it occurred to me that the dearth of Pakistani sweets was likely because the majority of it comes from Shaheen Sweets in New York. I truly pray for the poor and working class people in New York, including those associated with the manufacture of Pakistani sweets, that they may survive the pandemic. As we know, poverty accelerates Coronavirus, if for no other reason that underpaid workers are forced to live in close quarters, with large families sharing small facilities, and scarce time/space to maintain hygiene.

May Allah make it easier for all those compelled to work under difficult and dangerous conditions, and may He ease the burden of those struggling with limited/no income in these trying times.

Jamaat Al-Muslimeen Statement on the Death of Ahmaud Arbery

It is disgusting, and a travesty of justice that an innocent black jogger can be shot like an animal by White vigilantes, who chase him down without any provocation. We, of the Jamaat al-Muslimeen (Islamic Peoples' Movement) demand justice in this evident murder.