consumerism

Omri mamu said "There was a time when one went to Lahore and knew he was there before he could see the nametag of the city on the Railway Station. I don’t think that may be true anymore. For that matter, I don’t think that may be true for other metros of Pakistan also and is trickling down to our other ‘exotic’ locations. The individualities of the places, attitudes, cultures, etc. are the victims of ‘Commercialism’ running amuck."...

The individualities of a place consist of what:

... 1: first the physical characteristics -
- race and ethnicity of the people and the language they use to communicate;
- then the local resources available to make shelter, clothing, food.

... 2: next the cultural characteristics -
- what they do to “socialize”relax, recreate, and celebrate (music, sport, festivities, etc);
- how they govern their communites (family and government structure, etc);
- what they do to earn a living using the local resources (industries, commerce, services, etc);
- how they transmit their shared knowledge and language to each other and to their children (literature, arts and sciences)

... from among the above, what exactly is the victim of “commercialism” and how?
how is he defining “commercialism”?

... dictionary.com gives me three:
... 1-The practices, methods, aims, and spirit of commerce or business.
... 2-An attitude that emphasizes tangible profit or success.
... 3-transactions (sales and purchases) having the objective of supplying commodities (goods and services).
this last one is from princeton university.

... -The last definition does not exclude it from being different in different regions. A form commercialism can exist within any individual community that operates through buying and selling. It is neither positive or negative for a community, it is neutral. But if it is accompanied by an attitude that emphasizes profits or success, I can see how someone would consider it positive or negative. But what if the individual community already had the idea of profit as a part of its culture? An argument can be made that the community’s commercialism, is a part of its individuality.

... -Sure, I can see how when the commodities being sold go from being regional ones to ones supplied from outside the region, it can cause a decrease in the distinctiveness of the community given to it by the region’s resources and its own people.

... -There are natural upheavals like catastrophes—earthquakes, volcanic eruptions come to mind—that are non-controllable phenomena. Commercialism can also be categorized in just such a way, can’t it?

... -I can understand how a drastic change in the natural environment can change the regional resources available to buy and sell, build with, make clothing with, and make food with. or how a disaster can wipe out a significant portion of an ethnicity in a region. This obviously has effects on the physical characteristics that give a region its individuality and distinctness. And yes much of it is beyond control. and will most likely cause a “paradigm shift".

... -But, to claim that “commercialism” is similarly uncontrollable might be a stretch. I need more information to understand what he means. How is “commercialism” uncontrollable? As long there is a demand for a product there will be commerce for that product. So I can see how it can never really be eliminated, but I can see many ways that it can be controlled. Didn’t soviets do it? Don’t Cuba and North Korea do it now?

... -They all cause a paradigm shift in the way people think, live, socialize. The shift manifests itself ruthlessly like it has a mind of its own and doesn’t care whether anybody likes it or not. It has an edge to it like someone saying, “so sue me!”
Sure, I agree, often a change in thinking fed by uncontrollable events is so pervasive that one person or even small groups of people can do nothing much to counter its effects. There was a similar paradigm shift in the thoughts of most average americans after the events of 9/11, it was a paradigm shift involving they way they viewed security as opposed to liberty......

Omri mamu claims that "Initially, it was the five-star hotel chains that led the way."

... -What about Coke and Pepsi? What about Toyota and Suzuki? I think there were many goods and services that came from outside Pakistan, long before the hotel chains. Now, there is a tendency to ignore the particular goods and services that Karachites sell to other regions within Pakistan, or Lahorians sell to Balochistinians, or Kashmirites sell to Peshawaristaninians. And aside from it being local or alien, does it make a difference if the product is branded by a maker who has incorporated him/her/itself as a protection from liability? Should preference be given to the unincorporated local product maker?

... -Now, about brands. It was a natural evolution of commerce to figure out that a logo and a brand can help sell something. Is this inherently an evil thing? When technological advancements enabled the creation of photography, radio, television, and internet, should sellers be denied the use of these to sell legitimate goods and services? What if the maker of the branded product is local and unincorporated? What if the selling of these goods and services brings much needed economic growth to a stagnant region?

... -What if the local product made from regional resources is not able to brand itself and thus sells less? Does this mean that controls must be placed on goods from outside the region? What if the local product is of bad quality? Does the elimination of competition, by better products from outside, give the local brand the incentive to improve? What measures should be put in place to ensure an improved local product, a local product that does not get drowned out by the brand from outside that has more name recognition and more money for research and development of its product? Should I simply stop asking these types of questions, bail out from the system, and simply advocate a non-commercial counter-cultural lifestyle that reinforces a possession free non-competitive regionalism?

... -However, it was only the privileged and the elite who felt the ‘uniqueness of total offer.’ That was followed by the phenomena of satellite television and fast food chains. When this happened, as they say, all heck broke loose. Now when one goes out of Karachi to any other metro city in Pakistan or vice versa, one is apt to not get the distinct impression that one is in a different city.

Omri mamu also claims that "Progressively, the chances are that it will get worse."

... -I think it helps if we don’t think of it as getting better or worse. I think we must see it as a natural evolution of human life, commerce being a part of it. The choice is clear: become like a Dubai, a place with little local distinctiveness other then the desert environment on its outskirts, or retain some of the distinctiveness that comes from not only your natural environment but also from earlier traditional practices. Local leaders, elite, artists, teachers, must instill a pride of their regional environment and cultural traditions. Local corporations must produce quality products that take advantage of regional characteristics but don’t harm the region. Local governments must encourage and support local industry so locals have a means of employment. The people must build and hold accountable a strong independent justice system to hold corporations liable for lying about a product, and the damage a product causes. Ha! Easier said then done Asad!

... -OK OK, I’m afraid chances are that it will “get worse”. People continue to get suckered into buying products from outside that cause physical harm and a loss of distinctiveness of culture. People do not develop a pride of their region, and instead destroy it through pollution, mismanagement, and exploitation. But all is not lost, this can be countered, by those willing and able to become the type of parents that continue positive traditions and pass them down to their children. Liberal individuals can complain about loss of identity and distinctiveness all they want, but it is meaningless unless they are willing to accept tradition and the role it plays in perpetuating a culture. I think Commerce and Tradition can probably co exist and balance each other. Being too rigid in tradition suffocates a peoples ability to survive in a constantly evolving world, and Being too commercial makes one nothing but a shallow tool. Being both makes us distinctive and our distinctiveness may help give us a competitive edge in certain global markets.

the siddiqui way

just some more thinking out loud. I’d drafted some rules for success in theworld of small business. After thinking about it somemore, I’m narrowing the focus to the world of professional service firms. I’m also making them more personal, they are rules that I’m now setting for myself. I say "setting" because i can see my deficiencies and know the following things have to be sustained for continued success, inshallah. here’s a revised version with explanations: Working for a living requires interaction with others. To have lasting relationships with others. I need to... 1-Be Selfless: Consider the needs of others. Seek the welfare of my family, friends, neighborhood, clients, industry, and environment; in that order. Be there to help be a part of the solution when i'm called on. The service I provide and the way I provide it should not cause harm. I believe being good opens doors; or at least it may clear my sight enough to see the doors that I need to open... 2-Be Trustworthy: Hire people I can Trust. Often in the world of professional firms, the client will hire the services of my firm because of me. There are many small firms that offer similar services but the client may hire mine because of who I am. The client is placing a trust in me, not just my company. The work done by my employees has a direct impact on my reputation. A small firm has a more personal working environment, where the technicians and staff are often directly visible to the executives. There can be no shifting of blame by the executives. In a small business there is no excuse for bad work. The executives are directly to blame for the failure to meet requirements. So, if I am an executive or a manager, I need to be able to trust the staff; that they are in fact doing what is required of them when I am not looking. They need to trust me; that I am not using them for my own gain without any consideration for their needs. The employer/employee relationship requires trust. Trustworthiness is the most important characteristic to look for when hiring. Not family, Not religion. Just because people have the same blood or pray to the same God, does not mean they are trustworthy. But often, the people I can trust most are family and friends. That doesn’t mean they make the ideal employee. Showing favoritism to some employees over others undermines the trust they place in me... Working for a living requires doing work. To compete in the world of professional service firms. I need to... 3-Be Motivated: Want to do it. Have the drive required to provide the service and run the business; the drive to accomplish the task. Be the first one in and last one out. Being motivated is not like being selfless and trustworthy. Being motivated is not related to my actions towards others. Being motivated is a state of mind. It comes and goes. When I have it I will succeed... 4-Be Professional: Do it right. The work I am being contracted to do needs to be done according to the standards set by the industry. The client is expecting professional work when a professional is hired. The way I deal with my employees should be professional. They are expecting to be compensated for the work they do, on time, and with the benefits that are common to the industry. Being professional is about the actual work, and the actual running of the business, not people. Being professional is not like being selfless or trustworthy. Being professional is not like being motivated. In fact, it requires motivation. Being professional is based on the knowledge and skills that I acquire through a class, a teacher, a mentor, or a book... Working for a living requires a paper trail. To have a trouble free relationship with clients. I need to... 5-Get every thing in writing... 6-Follow up on invoices... Just because I am trustworthy does not mean my clients are. These two rules deal with specificactions that must be done before and after the work is done. For these actions to be successful I need assistance from other professionals. People who study law and accounting need to be tapped. These two rules also require systems and structures to be set up in the company to ensure that they are done. Having some management skills helps... Working for a living can become a drag. To have happiness and relieve the stress of running abusiness. I need to... 7-Enjoy the Profits... Spread the wealth. Give the employee who deserves it a bonus. There are things I and my employees want to do besides work, things that bring joy to life, to family, to friends, to community. Do them before death. That's the lesson I learned from my father. I will call these rules: "THE SIDDIQUI WAY"

never hire a muslim?!?

last weekend, during dinner at the Longhorn Muslim Reunion, as we divided into career groups, i was asked what i have to say about being a business man. As one of dude's i was talking to lives in Middle-Of-Nowhere, America. He feels that Muslims should help each other more. I replied by saying: "rule No.1 of running a business:Don't hire Muslims!! it makes trying to get anything done on friday's impossible!" He looked upset... confused... How can someone he knew to be an awesome leader of the best Muslim Students Association in any american university say something like this!?! (yes, I said AWESOME!)... A former roommate of mine added something about family. I then corrected myself: "OH! Yes! I'm such a fool, FAMILY... Nevermind what i said before, Scratch it! New Rule No.1... Don't hire Family!! Rule No.2... Don't hire Muslims!" The confused dude looked even more shocked by the turn this conversation was taking... I said I was absolutely serious. To do business with family or muslims differently just because they are that, only means you are relaxing your professional standards and will later get kicked in the ass. If it goes bad you will be the one considered bad family or greedy muslim. never compromise your professional standards!... They asked me when the book was coming out? Hey, first I'd have to make up some more rules. no one would pay me good money for a two line book!! and so... i went on to elaborate on the rules for success in the stressfull world of small business. imagine the cover: a big 2 with a slash through it and a small 5 written next to it by hand also slashed out with a smaller 7 written next to that... "RULES FOR SUCCESS IN SMALL BUSINESS" by Asad I. Siddiqui... The Accidental Business Man! Now... I present to you a rough outline of my rules: - Rule No.1: There is no Fight Club no really... Rule No.1: Be a Good Human Being... - Rule No.2: Be Professional in what you Do... - Rule No.3: Say No to Family and Friendship ties... - Rule No.4: Say No to Religious ties... - Rule No.5: Get Everything in Writing... - Rule No.6: Follow up on Invoices... - Rule No.7: Enjoy the Profits... (when in doubt, refer to rule 1 and 2) No MBA required!!... they are completely obvious rules, completely common sence, but so easy to fall into temptation and ignore... i know them because i see the consequences of violating them every single day! peace and love.

MSA Reunion Halaqa

First the bigger picture:
What is the MSA? Where does it come from? What does it do?

In the late 1800’s Jamaluddin al-Afghani started going around the Ottoman Empire spreading around ideas that Muslims need to go beyond sectarian, ethnic, cultural, and geographic differences. They need to realize that they are all Muslims. That they are all one people. He was given support by the Ottoman caliph, who could use this as a means to motivate people to defend his empire against the threat of european expansion. After all, he was the caliph of all Muslims, which means all Muslims should help defend his empire. Muslim Unity was good. It was for a reason.

Anyways, After the empire ended, and the khilafat faded away. The muslims in various independent regions began movements to bring Islam back into some sort of political power. There was no need for teaching the basics of Islam to the members of the movements, there were madrasas and mullahs and qaris for that. So what the movements focused on was molding a perspective of a political and social role of Islam among its recruits. These movements, the Ikhwan al Muslimun in the Mid-East, the Jamat e Islami in South Asia, reinterpreted Afghani’s Pan-Islam into an Islamic nationalism. The goal was to replace the colonial order with a new order.

By the late 60’s members of these movements were making their way to the New World. Many hoped to go back and continue the struggle, In the mean time while in college they would pursue higher education and seeing a vacuum they created Muslim organizations to serve their needs. The goal was to keep from assimilating while here. MSA was born.

But this is only the history of a few who founded the formal organizations, what happened next was unexpected. Members of the movements were not the only Muslims in America. I think there are four distict streams of Muslims in America. One is the movement stream with al-Afghani as the key common figure. Another is based on Black Nationalism. The black race in America has faced many challenges and one of them is to gain Power, power lost through slavery and years of dehumanization and discrimination. Figures like Noble Drew Ali, Elijah Muhammad, and Malcolm X linked this stream to Islam. The third stream is made up of Converts who went overseas to learn the traditional sciences of Islam. The fourth is people like my parents, part of the global shifting of populations, the immigrant experience.

With the easing of immigration laws after the civil rights reforms passed, Muslims looking for opportunities to make a living and support their families back home made their way here. They cared little for the political and social agendas of the Islamic movements, but they did want to be able to practice their religion. They were coming here to stay. They joined the MSAs. To be able to Pray Jummah, establish mosques, teach the basics to their kids. Survival was their goal. It was a small community and they all worked together and tolerated each other’s opposing perspectives on Islam.

That was then…
We are their children, Our time has its own challenges, Its own needs.
What is the MSA to us?

Is it about fullfilling a religious need?
-The need to worship?
-The need to learn about Islam?
-The need to believe in something?
--The need for meaning.

Or, is it about fulfilling a human need?
-The need to find a home?
-The need to eat?
-The need to socialize?
--The need to belong.

Or, is it about fulfilling an educational need?
-The need to find the best teacher?
-The need to find a study group?
-The need to pass a test?
--The need to learn.

Or, is it about fulfilling a political need?
-The need to raise awareness of an issue?
-The need to know our rights?
-The need to unite?
-The need to organize?
--The need for justice.
----The need for power.

Maybe its NOT about fulfilling a need…
-There’s a mosque if you need a place to pray.
-There’s your friends to satisfy the need to belong.
-There’s College Advisors to help you find learning aids.
-There’s a multitude of movements out there seeking power.

Maybe its about fulfilling WANTs…
-We want things to be easy.
-We want to be with those we feel most comfortable with.
-We want to feel like we are doing something meaningful.
-We want to think we are pleasing God.

So, what IS the MSA?
Throughout its history, since 1967, it’s been all of the above.
Sometimes satisfying one need, sometimes satisfying another,
…almost always satisfying a desire.

I think an MSA of our size and ability can easily lose focus, so i will list the 3 basic types of things that a group of Muslims at UT can create for themselves:

1-A means of building character in UT students…
-this does not need an organization only a small group people helping each other.

2-An outlet for issue based activism by UT students…
-needs some organization and lots of volunteers committed to that issue or cause.

3-An institution that provides services for UT students…
-needs lots of organization and access to professional resources + continuity.

To do one is easy and success is measurable, but to do all three requires hard work, a solid organization and lots of support.

That’s what we Alumni are for. Use us.

In the 60s, there was a need for us to get organized. Why?
-To give us something to belong to, and overcome feelings of isolation.
-and To assist that small group of isolated Muslims in the practice of Islam.

In the 70s and 80s, there was the need for us to build our institutions. Why?
-In order to accommodate a growing community, and its children.
-and To provide resources for those interested in knowing about Islam.

In the early 90s, there was again a need for us to organize. Why?
-It was time to make MSA relevant to a Muslim American generation.
-With the community needs taken care of by the mosque, MSA began to look outward, to others with needs. Hello Dawa Table!
-To voice support for Palestine. for Bosnia. Against Oppression. MSA’s rawest purist activism for the highest cause…Justice! MSA members joined Student Gov, Texas Union, The Daily Texan. All to support the activism, and to show that we belong in these campus institutions because we are just as much a part of the campus as any other group.

We’ve heard the names: Ayloush, Riz, Monem, Asaduddin, Almouti, Hajjar…
We've heard the legends…
-Riz getting busted for praying at old UGLy here,
-Palestinan Flags at Hillal Rallies on the west mall,
-Monem trying to distribute condoms at the dorms…WHAT???

I had a chance to participate in the tail end of that period of our MSA’s history.
-And then a challenging new era began…
--The challenge of living up to expectations!
--The challenge of continuing traditions!
--The challenge of growth!
--The challenge of finding a meaning!

It starts with a vision…camp!!

"Dear Imam Siraj,
Please find along with this letter the vision statement itself. What I would like to do here is try to give you a background on what led us to this point. Working with MYNA, MSA, local masaajid, and other various Muslim organizations, a few of us kept noticing that each had very similar problems. After looking at their histories, we found that none had a formalized vision and goal(s). This being the case, they acted more on a reactive basis, rather than proactive one.

What this vision statement attempts to do is lay out a vision for Muslims in America. Although an ambitious task, we strongly feel that if left malleable, it can serve the needs of our North American Community. The "group" I am referring to is very loose in nature. Most have either graduated from college or are very close to being so. Each is active enough to have a taste of how Muslim organizations operate.

I hope this letter and the accompanying vision statement are clear and I look forward to speaking with you at ISNA (either Friday or Saturday after Fajr).

--the vision statement and introduction:
Every traveler must have a destination in mind or the passage of time will reveal a life without achievement, the loss of opportunity, and the agony of failure. Muslims are now poised to establish a historic movement in America that could change the world. We have the human power, the economic resources, the knowledge, and the guidance of Islam. But do we have that destination in mind?

Our vision is to endlessly promote a society of thinking muslims proactive to the needs of the North American community.

Muslims must tear down the rigid walls of close-minded ignorance and open themselves to a world of creative, and fresh ideas. We must embrace the blessings and benefits of all the approaches within Islam past and present, as they reflect the many shades and complementary colors that make our deen whole. Muslims should analyze, not blindly assimilate, as we actively reach out to the Muslim community to serve its needs. As these needs are met, the North American Muslim Ummah must excel all others to lead America towards the benefits gained from the wisdom and balance of Islam."

After much discussion our group finally came to an agreement on what we are going to ask our leaders and scholars.
1.We agreed that we should begin by explaining how we were formed thus: "A group of people from all over Texas noticed that there is a problem with organizations in North American and saw that all these problems came down to the fact that they (the organization and groups) did not have a comprehensive vision for North America. What we have done after toiling for a year is come up with a vision"
2.The vision statement and the introduction written by Adil would then be told to the person
3.Then we would ask them "What do you think about the vision and do you feel it falls within the bounds of Islam?" This is basically giving them the answer. If they response by saying they think it is haram, then we would ask them why and end the conversation. But if they don't think there is anything wrong then move onto the next question.
4."Our methodology for implementing this vision is through a list of priorities. Do you agree with having priorities and what do you feel are the most important for Muslims in America?"
5.And the last question would be "What are your feeling about a new movement in North America?" - this is a controversial question

Why are we approaching them?
1.To legitimize ourselves and to let people know that we exist and this is what we are thinking
2.The conversation should be tape recorded if possible
3.Basically what we want for them is elaboration and their input and view point

I think we were idealistic and ambitious, just like we should have been at that age. And although we never formed any new organizations, we carried that vision with us as individuals. I still do.
This vision was incorporated into a new charter for UT’s MSA.

Well, I left UT at the beginning of this new millennium, coming home at the end of 2000.
-I had participated, then I had began to organize, and eventually I had led…
--and Throughout …I grew!

I gained wisdom.
-Wisdom: its more than knowledge.
--There’s awareness of a thing
---Then knowledge of that thing
----Then doing that thing
-----Then finally a Wisdom based on experience.

I became aware about myself…
-My abilities, My limitations, My emotions

I became aware of my friends…
-The nature of friendship, family, brotherhood…LOVE!

I became aware of my surroundings…
-My teachers, fellow students, the great city of Austin.

I don’t know how much was the result of the MSA and how much was because of the way I am, but I do know that the MSA was very much a part of who I am.

For me MSA wasn’t about Dawa, or Power, or Knowledge, or Friends.
-It was about finding a means to BE ASAD!
-For many, the MSA is a means of satisfying Identity issues.

I had major issues going on in my life at the time I was in UT,
-I had transition problems from transferring into the Architecture school and I couldn’t be the architecture student I wanted to be. ...My professional identity.

-I had an ill father slowly dying of diabetes dealing with the stress of running a business at Home and I couldn’t be the son I wanted to be. ...My Siddiqui identity

-But in the MSA, I found a place where I could be the Muslim I wanted to be, that believer in God that does things for others, with others.

That’s what MSA became for me in the end:
-Not to struggle to establish an Islamic order;
-Not for dawa to gain new converts;
-Not a religious institution for the Muslims of Austin;
Simply a club on campus that provides opportunities for UT’s Muslims to practice Akhlaq together. and in the process develop a stronger relationship with Allah.

love

what is love? for some its simply an emotion that drives one towards a loving action like a kiss or a hug or a tear. the root of the compassion that feeds merciful acts. for others its a mystical abstract notion that gives order to the universe, the answer to the question "why?" the reason for being. is it this or that? a real emotion or abstract concept?

can't it be both?...a Rabia al-Basri poem: "I know about love the way the fields know about light, the way the forest shelters, the way an animal's divine raw desire seeks to unite with whatever might please its soul - without a single strange thought of remorse. There is a powerful delegation in us that lobbies every moment for contentment. How will you ever find peace unless you yield to love the way the gracious earth does to our hand's impulse."

...a poem by Hafiz: Because the Woman I love lives inside of you, I lean as close to your body with my words as I can -and I think of you all the time, dear pilgrim. Because the One I love goes with you wherever you go, Hafiz will always be near. If you sat before me, wayfarer, with your aura bright from your many charms, my lips could resist rushing you, but my eyes, my eyes can no longer hide the wonderous fact of who you really are. The Beautiful One whom I adore has pitched His royal tent inside of you, so I will always lean my heart as close to your soul as I can."

what the hell is fiqh of love ?

this morning I was thinking of something I’d heard my friend Riz say during dinner on Friday night at the UT reunion, "the fiqh oflove." In all of my readings about love theory, I had NOT come across this phrase before!! It made no sense to me. there is love, and there is fiqh. they are two different things. what the hell is "fiqh of love?" so I googled it... I've learned that fiqh is the science of figuring out the shariah. Books I read say that the shariah is for the protection of various aspects of human life: deen-life-intellect-lineage-honor-property being the traditional areas. And according to scholars of fiqh, in the life of a human, ACTIONS can be required-recommended-neutral-disliked-forbidden. Now... Love is either a feeling that is experienced in the brain, or an abstract principle created to make sense of life. It may be a motivator for an action. A very basic action may be Love motivating me to kiss a baby, or to say "I love you". I think Love happens in the realm of intention... so, maybe... I guess it’s kind of relevent to fiqh. we COULD possibly place it in the various aspects of life that the shariah protects: deen-life-intellect-lineage-honor-property-LOVE... But if we place love in this list, we are lowering Love's status. Love is like Justice or Mercy. It’s a higher principle designed to give meaning to mundane life. Not a category of mundane... Anyways, my point is that i can understand "the Fiqh of Marriage", or "the Fiqh of Ibadat" because marriage and ibadat can be said to deal with lineage, honor, or deen. but "Fiqh of LOVE"??? It makes no sense to me. Maybe I’m too dumb to understand? (don’t answer that!)... First you have to define what love is, and that is the realm of philosophy, psychology, or mysticism (Akhlaq not Fiqh)... so what is this "fiqh of love"? where is this phrase coming from?... Apparently there's a class being offered around the country where attendees learn about love and "marriage in islam." (according to the wahhabi sect). it’s a big hit among the young, sincere, naive, gullible recruits. If this class (or any other offered by the Al-Maghrib Institute directed by Muhammad Alshareef) is conducted in any city, the institute creates a qabila, oh sorry..."qabeelah" or tribe for the students to join, allowing them to compete with other cities in terms of test results (interesting idea) and do extracurricular "tribal activities," including dawah (recruiting more people to wahhabi thought). I once organized a lecture at UT called "The Lover and The Beloved" but it was about sufism (because sufi poets use such language to describe their relationship with the Divine), and while the speaker had no accent, he did have a harsh tone and ended up not speaking about love as much as I had wanted him to. I also remember when we had a Friday Cookie Halaqa on the topic of love given by some wahhabi preacher from Dallas. The dude was kind of repulsive. He also had a harsh tone and thick accent too. And he focused on marriage. These and other things motivated me to speak on the topic, the real topic "love". Unlike the other speakers we had that year, I focused on "what is Love?"... I wish more people spoke of just love... Anyways, My confusion about this damn "fiqh of love" was cleared up when I went to the Al-Maghrib website. It's simply a marketing ploy for a class about the allowable and the prohibited regarding marriage and the wahhabi approach to its fiqh. But this time its not like that harsh accented preacher from Dallas, the tone seems to be much softer. But it appears it’s too soft for some recruits (not wahhabi enough for them)! peace and love.

a mention of satan

I'd read that the mystic Hallaj had written a defence of satan. but I'm still searching for an english version of it. Till them I am searching through the works of some of the other Mystics. The Sufi Poet Farid'uddin 'Attar has a few mentions of Iblis in his masterpiece "The Conference of the Birds" I've reworked Peter Avery's translation: Enjoy! ...Moses was instructed in secret to go and ask Iblis for some advice. Iblis said, “Always bear this one maxim in mind: Do not say ‘I’ lest you become like me.” Go Ahead! Take this life to be your own, What you will have is not service, but atheism, the denial of Truth! Run this course knowing no gratification. Be like those courageous ones, who gain honor through a bad reputation. If you get gratification in this road, A hundred “I’s” would take you! Snap! Just like that!...

a side note about Darkness and Sight... The Mu’min said: “It is better for that newbie that he should be in darkness,‘Til he is completely obliterated in the Ocean of Kindness, Putting an end to a consciousness of existence, Because, if anything presents itself to his untrained sight, He might become distracted, and turn towards unbelief.” It’s in you, You Know It! that desire to acquire more and more, that inclination to argue and fight, The eyes of others see, not the eyes of you. It’s in you, You’ve Felt It! It’s like an ash-pit full of dragons. You in heedlessness have let them loose, Oh the trouble of looking after them day and night! Finding food for them to eat. Places for them to sleep. You’ve become nothing but dust and blood, And that which was once considered good and pure, Now… forbidden!, taboo! your Blood, your closest buddy, it’s making you filthy, it’s becoming your partner in crime! Whatever it is in that heart of yours, that thing is preventing you from knowing Oneness! and if its doing that, without doubt, its forbidden! If you’ve become aware of the pollution within, How can you just sit there like that? Not giving a damn!... a side note to the side note: On the chest of a Shaikh an unclean dog was wont to lie. The Shaikh made no attempt to avoid it. An inquirer said: “O great one of the righteous conduct, How comes it then that you have not spurned this dog?” Listen to the Shaikh’s reply: “You see this dog’s outside, its unclean. But that which is inside me, is not visible. What you can see clearly in one, Is concealed within the other. Since my inside is like the dog’s outside, How should I evade him?That dog has become my friend.” So… if the inner corruption is only a little, A hundred times more defiled are you. Because this little is all the same; If the slightest distraction blocks your progress on the Path, What is the difference if it’s a mountain or just a straw that holds you back?... **the primary source for Satan info for most of the muslim mystic philosophers is of course the Quran. but not a literal interpretation. I see their unique notion of Iblis as an attempt to reconcile the creation story with other places in the Quran where the concept of shaytan is mentioned in relation to human nature.

enough talk

It happened again today.
I was told to “do it.”
...“Enough talk Asad, just do it.”
...Do what?

... - Over the last few years, I’ve been sharing the ideas I have about youth work.
With ex-members of our old youth organization;
officers of the local youth group;
leaders of our masjid.

... - Well it was bound to happen.
One of those people basically said “well, do it already.”
It was my old Islamic School teacher, a former advisor of our old youth group.
I decided to stop by at a Muslim Teachers Conference she was helping organize.

... - I told her:
there are ideas to create a youth group at our masjid again.
old members of our group at another mosque are dong the same thing.
Its probably time to create some sort of regional structure.

... - Yeah Yeah, We tried it back in the mid 90s.
it probably wasn’t the right time,
maybe this time it’ll happen.

... - Maybe we can:
bring these old members together to create a board of advisors.
take requests for larger youth activities for the region and then select the best youth from among all the groups to organize it.

... - Good idea she said, just like another good idea you had a couple of years ago Asad.
So whats the hold up, will this also go undone like the last one.
By the way, we need to do a camp. Not organized by any masjid or any one youth group.
Organized by us, and this region idea you have is a good way to organize it.

... - Hey! just like back in the old days, when the East Zone of the Muslim Youth of North America used a camp to kick off our South Eastern regional structure, to bring together the various youth groups in Florida! We can do the same thing but for South Florida.

... - Sounds Good! But, don’t disappoint me this time!
You’ve become all talk Asad. Lets do this soon.
You’re worrying me Asad.

... - Yes Sister Naima.
Thank you Sister Naima.
I got to go now Sister Naima.
Salam Sister Naima.

the power of the image

to what extent does television and radio programming reflect the culture and to what extent does it create the culture? By culture I mean a people’s social practices and values and lifestyle. In many ways the culture and the media start feeding on each other.

...A recent Newsweek article on BET used the term “influential tastemakers.” There are definitely creative minds that drive trends in a culture. This is undeniable. On the other hand, a recent Time article mentioned that programming like NBC’s Friends, reflected the cultural phenomenon of a new stage of modern life in between being grown-up and adolescence.

...An image has power. A moving image accompanied by sounds has even more power. The power to inspire imitation. The power to create a desire. The image can be created or captured by an artist for artistic social purposes and it can also be made by Advertisers who use it for corporate porposes.

instead of complaining

let me put my reaction in context. i cry when i think of the death and distruction the tsunami caused. my dua and charity will continue to be directed there for some time to come. i don't think i have to remind the people who know me of my activist history when i voice my opinions damn it... i don't complain about media. i don't think the media is as important as others think it is (i should say news media to be more specific). and i should say that i DO give local CAIR reps constructive suggestions when they make mistakes, and supportive compliments when they do good, i'm no rookie when it comes to adab... now... in reaction to my post, i was told: "do a similar event YOURSELF that's better! stop pointing fingers!" i care for my community and i HAVE done better events that got great media coverage. i like to think that i've earned the right to point ANY finger at ANY org... another thing i heard: "become part of the solution!? join em, work with them from the outside, whatever! but stop this ranting every time someone makes a mistake! its NOT helping!" This is the comment that i'm most tired of hearing! i spent several years working with MSA or volunteering with or helping local CAIR reps organize things for many many years. i spent the last few years trying to work with ISNA. and since 1996, i've organized or supported events for Islamic Relief. so tommorow, if i decide i want to rant about them, i will. AND... no one should call me to JOIN jamat-tabligh, jamat-islami, ikhwan, or some other group that i'm fundamentally opposed to. i don't care if it helps or not, i WILL rant about the reasons why i oppose them (if i have to). we should discuss mistakes that are made by muslims. we should share and discuss our unorthodox ideas. all i do is voice my frustrations (rants) once in a while. OK... i'm going to go chill out now :) peace and love.

why i CAIR not (part 2) media and stereotypes

one reaction to my post said: "I would like to believe that no organization or person would take advantage of such a disaster. Yes, CAIR *could* have done the salat al ghayb at a later time and possibly have the media come then." not could, SHOULD! i call a mistake what it is. not deny it and not defend it. i don't think i have to elaborate about all the reasons why i say it SHOULD have been done during a jumah prayer. its so obvious it boggles my mind why it would not have been done at that time. by the way, even though CAIR sent press releases about jumah, no media showed up. most likely because they felt they had already covered the story. indeed it IS a mistake to create media events when real events can be promoted for the same purpose... i was also told that "with all of the negative stereo-types and views of Muslims in America as heartless people, it probably made most sense to do it at a time when more viewers would be watching."... education is the way to dispell stereo-types, not TV news... about stereo-types: they come from generalizations made about a group of people based upon the actions one witnesses in a few. i guess the best way to counter it is to get people to see us as individuals, know a little about Islam (its basic history, its basic teachings), then let them make up their own minds. the real forum for this endevour is not media but education, and muslims really BEING good. sound-bites and quick images often easily get lost in all the noise. the understanding i want people to have is that: - there are individuals who call themselves muslim that do "this"; - there are individuals who call themselves muslim that do "that"; - and there are individuals call themselves muslim that do "other"... Islam may be the inspiration for all of them, but it is so much greater!... so we shouldn't make generalizations about Islam, about ourselves... we shouldn't fall into the trap of the society of the spectacle. believing the world of propaganda and the image machine to be reality.

why i CAIR not (part 1) real action

let me clarify, he who contacted me WAS honest with me. i was told that a tv news crew was coming. i try to give people the benefit of doubt. i just think that media events are not what we need to be doing. the false impression i got was all me. the organizers have nothing to do with me expecting MORE out of my leaders, and organizations that claim to speak for me. yes, local chapters are sort of independant, but some how, through CAIR, a local who used to be a social worker is now little more than a PR guy. i know him, he is very sincere, and i participate when he asks me. and hey, it would be great for americans to think islam and muslims are good. but, i want real good deeds to be the cause. the media should tell people about these good deeds, news of it will allow others to help the deed have a bigger impact. if in the process they change their mind about muslims, great!... think Habitat For Humanity, or the ACLU, that's real action. thats all i desire, real action, not media events. CAIR national encourages a mentality of media events, activism for the camera. i don't mean to imply that the particular media event was designed for CAIR's self promotion. but, i also don't deny that many activists in CAIR, just like ISNA and others, tend organize more events that are to sustain themselves then anything else. i hate this. the orgs with the means to get things done are the ones who DO the least, and TALK the most (as if conferences and press events are real action)! peace.

why i don't CAIR

tsunami relief... day before yesterday... i got a call on my cell. it was one of the leaders of the masjid on 183rd street. he asked me come to the masjid at 4:30pm. it was very important. there was to be a special prayer for the tsunami victims, some fundraising, "AND CHANNEL 10 IS COMING!"... so he said we needed as many people as we can get. he called me around 2 o-clock: "i know its short notice" he said... when i got to the masjid, channel 10(ABC) was there, so was channel 4(CBS), 6(NBC), 7(FOX) and 23 (Telemundo), all with the big telescopic antennas ready to broadcast. and the newspapers weren't left out. wow!!... what a turn out!... i entered the masjid and found... nothing... nothing was happening?!?... i figure this is what happened: CAIR had attempted to round up as many imams it could find on short notice and stage a salat al ghayb then line them up and have them say a few words. it was just a friggin media event. my first question to Altaf, the CAIR rep, was "why did we not do this at isha?, there are so few people here, why now?" i knew the answer before i asked, we'd get the 6pm newscast as well as the 11pm. SO WHAT!???!... at least it would be a real time when people come to the masjid to pray. not friggin 4:30 on a workday... Altaf knows the media here. he feels the media coverage wouldn't be as good. and this after all was a friggin media event. any sort of planning for meaningful action seemed to be happening randomly in small hushed circles of men standing around waiting for the salat to begin and most of it centered around these uncles thinking more about the media than the action itself. "why don't we have a fundraising dinner with $100 tickets if we get 200 people to come, and the media..." ... - i said that it was much more important that we do something where anyone who wants to give would be able to give. a $100 plate dinner will leave many people out. those 200 can be approached at any event and they will be more than happy to give the $100. i feel more and more that i am being seen as a crackpot by these leaders, they will eventually stop inviting me if i keep disagreeing with their stale ideas... O Allah give my patience!... eventually we have the salat al ghayb, the imams say their words, all of them said something to the tune of "test from God" Altaf passes out a very helpful list prepared by CAIR regarding charities that we can dontate to, and we mill about for 10 minutes waiting for maghrib salat, the media and the attendees are invited to have some tea while we wait.... i used the opportunity to approach a few news reporters. i'm not surprised to see that all of them are pretty blonde women. i tell them that i'm a teacher at the sunday school at this mosque and if they have any questions about the prayer or the mosque, i'd be happy to help them understand what they will be seeing during the prayer. the reporter from NBC wanted to speak to the imam after maghrib prayer ended. not knowing that people were starting the sunnah rakats all around her. the woman scrambled around the bowing and prostrating that was starting to happen all around her, returning to the back wall where it was safe. i told her that people are now doing some extra prayers and it would end momentarily. in the mean time she asked me a few questions about why i was here. how i found out about this. what i felt about the tsumani. i've forgotten what i said to her now. but i know what i didn't say to her. what was really on my mind!... this is just a friggin media event! peace.

falluja

some thoughts...muslim fundamentalism... a recent article said that it is:"...a reaction that came out of an Islam misshapen by modern political developments, many of them emanating from Western influences, outright invasion by British, French, and Italian colonialists, and finally theU.S.-Soviet clash that helped create the mujahadeen jihad in Afghanistan." absolutely! it reminds me... what scared me most when i saw video footage or read of the battle for faluja was that what our soldiers in iraq are facing is a real islamic resistance. in one scene it was not saddam loyalists that were fighting the occuping US forces, it was mujahideen. secular baathists don't yell "takbir" when a US soldier hurls a grenade to clear a hideout. those hiding out don't respond with "allahuakbar" before they die, unless they view themselves as mujahideen. While many in america speak of "quagmire" vietnam style, i see more"jihad" afghanistan style. it scared me because... i don't know where i stand.... a part of me wanted the mujahideen in that hideout to.....???? i don't like these thoughts.. i see that soldier hurling the grenade doing the job he is told to do. i see that soldier giving an interview saying how much he would like to succeed in helping the iraqis build a free society. i see that soldier speak about how he would much rather be helping build a school or something. i believe him. he is like my neighbors. he is the people i work with. i know that not all of our young men there are arrogant violent bastards. many are from the working class of our society, who enlist to better themselves, and/or defend our nation. they deserve my support. i want to give it to them. it is very easy for the non-american muslims to simply replace an old enemy with a new one. an old hatred of godless, islam cleansing, communist russians, expanding an empire. replaced with a new hatred of ignorant, islam cleansing, corporate americans, expanding another empire... i can't do that. i see the nuance... i can picture my nana hazrat (my mother's uncle, who is a major religious scholar in india). he is not a wahhabi, he is a hanafi, qadiri sufi. he went to baghdad often. i can picture him giving khutbas about how americans are violating the sanctity of the mosques of imam-e-azam abu hanifa, or ghaus-e-azam abdul qadir jilani. i can feel his followers develop a hatred of our occupying soldiers, some probably willing to join or support a jihad against us, fodder for some militants organizing an effort to recruit them... ignorant american journalists, ignorant policy wonks, ignorant generals... i don't care about a damn insurgent "sunni triangle", it's mainstream sunni world-wide waging a war against us that i fear... and i fear it becoming too late. i know how the last jihad against an empire went. it was no good for the occupiers or the inhabitants. muslim youth world wide were radicalized. ok... now i know where i stand!! i am left with only one conclusion: we need to pull out of iraq! immediately! i don't care what the iraqis do with their own land. they can kill each other in a civil war or establish a republic. i want to be able to say i don't give a damn....

ISNA convention

When it comes to the masses, the ISNA convention is perceived to be the only thing ISNA does. So it's important to address a problem when it is brought to light.

...There are many aspects of the ISNA convention experience; some are directly under the control of the convention organizers. The two most obvious are the logistics of the bazaar and the logistics of the sessions.

...There is a problem with the logistics of the sessions. It is a problem that has been repeated over and over for the past several years. I will state it in the form of the question of convention attendees:

“Why was this session not in the Main Hall?”

- It is asked when they are turned away from a session with a popular speaker being held in secondary hall, and find that the main hall is close to empty. It is asked when they think about how much money they spent to attend this convention and are denied the benefits unnecessarily.

...Regardless of what sessions ISNA may WANT the people to attend, to achieve its program objective, however noble that objective may be. The fact is that the vast majority of the attendees (non-activist adults and youth) leave with a raised level of awareness, knowledge, understanding, or devotion to Islam and/or the American Muslim community after listening to the dynamic popular speakers.

...SO WHY CREATE A SITUATION WHERE THEY ARE TURNED AWAY?

...I offer some constructive advise:

After the program is created, and rooms are assigned to each separate program, there must be a “reality check” The checker must look at every session in the Main Hall and ask him/herself:

“Is there any other session at this convention, at this time, that may need this main hall?”

...A simple swap would solve the problem most of the time. Really, we are only looking at three sessions a day. And the answer is obvious when you look at the list of speakers for a session.

...Compromise: Is it really a problem for ISNA to give the rights of any recording of that session to the organizers of that specific program? It only seems fair. ISNA should do it for the great good that comes from more people attending that session. MSA should give ISNA the right to broadcast that session on its web-cast. Everyone wins, especially the attendees.
I hope this problem is not symptomatic of a larger problem within ISNA of being more interested in what is good for itself rather than what is good for the Muslim community.

europeanizing muslims

i've been thinking much about this issue over the last few weeks. NPR has also been airing a series of great reports detailing the problem, country by country. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4182321 I want to use them in my islamic school class to discuss the issue with my students. I will use it to teach lessons about identity, of course, but also fear. I want to hear the muslims that appear in these reports and articles make a distinction between the issue of assimilating immigrants with a different culture and race; and the issue of dealing with a belief system that, while it may inspire an immigrant's culture, goes beyond culture and race. each issue may have separate ways to address it. but both revolve around the question of what is the basis of a person's identity.... Here's a reference to the colonial past. Colonialism changed the europeaness of the europeans. The colonizing soldiers, merchants, and civil servants started imported islamic beliefs and ideas into europe long before any muslim people came. So, its too late to have purity, and any attempt to purify will only make our society as "evil" as the "evil" we say we are trying to fight. attempting to purify we will only be feeding the beast that is at the root of the problem... I can see the choices the european govenments have to make: - the left desires to continue in the direction they were headed, transitioning from ethic nationalism to a more pluralistic, multi-cultural, secular, humane ideal. but each high profile crime committed by a muslim will make this harder. - the right wants to purify their land of muslims and go towards some mythical idealized past. but we all know where that can lead. - OR like america both parties can support some sort of "find them and kill them" militarized security state. where difference is tolerated as long as it isn't seen as a security threat. but sacrificing democracy and civil rights affects everyone in the state, just ask the americans who were trying to protest the free trade meetings here in Miami a few months ago... none of these choices are good. on the side i see an effort to sponsor and promote a domesticated version of islam. but isolationist conservative muslims will not trust it. especially if it involves acceptance of the unorthodox. by the way, i'd ask those who desire assimilation: why did the puritans not want to assimilate into native america? its probably the same reason why isolationist conservative muslims will not want to assimilate into secular america?... some poeple feel a need to establish a noble order, regardless of the way they are percieved by the natives of that land. is that bad? also, is a minority that holds power exempt from assimilation? Some arabs, turks, and jews are/were just as arrogant and proud and racist as some of the Europeans that ruled in the middle east, india or africa. so, this beast has now manifest as the issue of "assimilating muslims into europe". i don't know what will happen there or here... the beast is fear. the minority fears a loss of identity (or these days, death!). the majority fears change (or these days, death!)... - fear is a hard thing to overcome. and once it starts feeding a hatred it becomes an even more powerful enemy within... knowledge and understanding can fight fear. If not Islam, take a lesson from Darth Vader. we need Obi Wan teach the next generation... Not force, but "the force" will maintain a republic! Fear, Hate, Violence will only lead to the Dark Side my friends! peace and love.

annimated prophet

eid mubarak, eid marks the release of a new animated flick by the FineMedia Group: "Muhammad-The Last Prophet." they screened it in several theaters on this holiday. i saw it and only one of the kids i took started falling asleep towards the end, more because it was dark and after 9p.m. and not because of the film itself. i praise the intention and the quality of production. i think we need more of these films. and i hope the quality continues to improve. but i had some thoughts i want to share with yall. - thought 1: while essentially an animated version of "The Message" it has some differences. Hazrat Hamza or Hazrat Zayd are not shown this time around. and to make it easily digestable for kids, an anonymous companion is invented who basically narrates portions of the story to his child in a post-prophet muslim mecca. not a bad strategy. though it could have used a couple of cut aways where after an important event the child would ask the father a question and he would help the kid understand the lesson he learned through something the prophet said to them. that would have helped, since the prophet was not allowed to be shown. this should have been done especially for the battles. instead of sword fights where they show people killing. just because you don't show blood, does not mean its OK for kids, or they know whats going on. - thought 2: i want to find the producers and ask them why if the film is aimed at children, why not animate youth companions like Hazrat Sad, or Hazrat Zubayr or Hazrat Zayd or Hazrat Aisha? Why only Hazrat Bilal and not other important companions? i wonder if its because he was a slave that he is OK to be depicted. i hope not! i find it extremely offensive, that he is somehow not included in the undepictable class. whats up with that?!? and since when did Hazrat Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali and select others attain the same status as the Beloved Messenger of Allah. Peace be upon then all. maybe its because they are "those promised paradise," or"mothers of the believers," or "ahl-e-bayt" i don't know? why not show a young woman like Asma bint Abu Bakr helping her father and the prophet migrate? - thought 3: while i'm on the topic of undepictables, if the big conservative barrier of depicting humans in muslim art is already being broken, why not follow the example of those who broke this barrier before? why not depict the prophet with a veil over his face? why title the movie "Mohammad-the last prophet" when the prophet is not shown. the key topic is Islam not Muhammad. can this be considered false advertising? anyways... it wasn't all bad. my 7 year old cousin would recognise stories she learned in islamic school and blurt out exitedly: "hey, i learned about that!," especially with the whole spiderweb at the cave moment. there should've and could've been many more moments like that. it would've made for a much better movie. i give it 3 out of 5 stars. its a shoulda-woulda-coulda kind of film.

moonsightings

ISNA has some issues to deal with. people thinking they saw the moon is not a problem. there are always people who sincerely think they see it. its no problem to start one day before or after other muslims who have a difference of opinion. diversity is what makes Islam beautiful. just for fun...we could ask, who at ISNA gave the greenlight to declare it when there is still doubt? and why? It's a problem when an organization creates a policy and then doesn't follow through. here's what I think is going on... ISNA was poised in the 90s to make a shift. from a link in a global islamic movement to a service organization for the Muslim minority in America. and the creation of the moon sighting policy can be seen as part of that shift. i would like to believe that there was a desire to provide that service which all local masjids need, to help muslims practice one of the pillars of islam, through one body in order to take advantage of limited resources and a network of masjids... it's probably muslim unity that drives their actions. remnents of the idea to unify to establish an islamic state... on the other hand, ISNA could have evolved in the past few years, it's actions could be be driven by a different notion now, one based on the unity of a minority in order to ensure rights, or prevent isolation and retain an identity. But there is a pressure at ISNA to keep it from straying from the movement. That pressure manifests in its defense of wahhabism, its apparent desire to follow the Saudis on Ramadan and Eid for "Muslim unity", and its attempt to craft a program for youth recruitment. Maybe a day will come when it makes the shift. Until then we'll have more confusion at moonsighting time. peace.

i love hialeah

here's an event that shaped me into who i am. its one of the earliest earliest. from elementary school. abu dropped me off one day in his rolls royce. i don't remember exactly when it was, but i remember there being a point in my life when other children began refering to me as the rich kid. "bro, you got a rolls? are you rich?" i guess i became aware of wealth and what is expected of those who have wealth. i became aware of where i lived. i was expected to live at a certain type of house in a certain place. apparently it was strange for me "the kid with the rolls" to be living in this neighborhood. but i liked our house. i liked my friends and neighbors. i didn't want to see them as beneath me in any way. i never quite understood it.... a random thought: The U.S. is extremely race concious. there is much racism. it manifests in many ways. one of them is "white flight." as people of color start to live in any particular area the white people start leaving. well, the place were we live used to be white. the more spanish speakers that moved here, the more the whites people moved out. it is sad that many indo-pak immigrants also suffer from such bigotry. race and economic class blinds them also. they forget that they too are people of color.... so, anyways not only was i living in an area that was not appropriate for wealth. but it was also more hispanic. i like where i live. the more that my pakistani friends looked down upon hispanic americans and where i lived, the more proud i became of being from here. the city of hialeah.

MAS and the brotherhood

some thoughts on MAS(Muslim American Society). most of what i know is through people who were on the inside. i was not. MAS did not come from nowhere. from the outside it may appear that in the past few years chapters sprang up everywhere. but most of the ingredients for these chapters were already there. there was the secret stuff that we don't know about. and then there is stuff like national conventions held through MAYA and educational halaqas held through Peace Net. When the decision was made to come out. There was no more reason to work through MAYA or Peace Net. The leaders of MAS Youth Division are the same people who led Peace Net. They believe in something. They are organized. They are active. They always have been. most are good people. most are sincere. but they are sectretive. who knows what they conspire to do. the problem is that the MAS masses often don't know what the real agenda is. I wonder if a parent would let their child be involved in (and recruited through MAS Youth Division) if told that the child will be indoctrinted with the ideology of the "global islamic movement" crowd... if they knew beforehand that the child will come home with books which will reinforce US vs. THEM, Islam vs. THE Evil WEST, the need for Islam to be enforced in government, the need to purify Islam of innovations, etc. etc. and that the child will become someone who will defend and uphold wahhabism. That is why i think they are dangerous. The seeds for violence against WEST and considering other Muslims to be outside the religion are planted. Sure the Ikhwan are not as extreme as other Salafis when it comes to their actions. But they are Salafi. Salafi lite. They are moralists. But they are also a political movement. They take advantage of the social problems of the day. They feed the fears of the parents. and they use that fear to recruit young people into the movement. i say they are sincere because most do it unconsciously. most really believe their own hype. this doesn't mean that they are all conservative. some are more modern. there was an attempt to reform American Ikhwan. When the reform effort failed, there was a change in leadership in American Ikhwan. this all happened in the late 90's. it paved the way for the way MAS operates today.

a lack of comunication

sitting on the phone for a half hour to engage in a meaningfull conversation is great. but its difficult for me to do it often.... maybe for a relationship to develop there needs to be constant chit chat. lots of back and forth calling. or e-mailing. i guess it helps create an emotional bond between two people. flirting helps too. i don't know how to do it.... the problem is i don't talk much on the phone or e-mail. its just how i am. and when, in each conversation or e-mail i see an apprehensiveness to marriage, it makes be believe that i have a hard task ahead of me. my busy schedule of work and school makes time go by very fast. before i know it its friday. this last month was very busy. i have been out of town on three weekends... so it becomes very hard for me to spend time chit chating.... i have no problems with getting married. sure, i figured i would have to find out about my future bride before marriage. and she would have to find out more about me. but i didn't expect to have to counter pessimism. i've tried, but i doubt my abilities. but i am getting to know her.... i try to be optimistic. i try to envision success. but its very hard. i start losing interest if i see the most important ingredient, her optimism, is outside of my control. i start thinking that maybe i should back off, to give her more time. i think for a succesful relationship. both must start out optimistic about the outcome. we all know about the importance of the first impression. the first impression i got from our very first conversation about marriage was that she was pessimistic about marriage in general and each subsequent conversation only reinforced this. not a good sign..... i must admit that in the beginning i was ready. but her doubts are making me hessitate. this is one area in my life that i did not want hesitation. its a bad sign for me. i need reassurance from her that she wants marriage. that she thinks a marriage can be successful. i know we have to find out about each other. but its not good sign if the first thing she tells me is that marriage to a surgeon ends in failure. i have seen successful marriages to surgeons. i know its difficult, and i am open minded. but, she sees failure. so, until i am reassured about this critical item.... maybe this is the cause of my lack of communication. maybe it led to my pace slowing down even more than usual. i started waiting for her to contact me. i want her to want to do this. anyways, i do want to know more about her... her life; her likes and dislikes; what she lives for; what makes her happy; what makes her sad; what types of friends she has; her biggest accomplishments; her biggest dissapointments; we can spread this out over a series of phone calls and e-mails, deal with one at a time or all at once. what ever she wants.... anyways, we must find out about each other. but, i don't know if finding out about each other will help solve the big problem i'm facing. the problem is that she is basically going to be looking for something about me to like and then force herself to get into a marriage that she don't want. i will see many things about her that help me understand her, but will remain unsure if she wants to get married. i was the same a few years ago. i was unsure about marriage. i didn't know if i wanted it. but now i want it. i want to find the right woman. that right woman must also want it. then she must want me. maybe she is that person. it would be great if she is.

attraction+muhabbat=ishq

mahreen said: "i believe that loving someone is not in ur hands...u just fall in love and wen u do u dont think about the pros and cons of it...once everything is done then only the reality hits you and most of the time it isnt in your favor..and then it is very painful and it hurts.." ... ahh ishq. i see it as the coming together of attraction and muhabbat. by attraction i mean the desire to be near to or possess. by muhabbat i mean the willingness to sacrifice for. sacrify time, energy, money, everything. i can have muhabbat for my family and my friends. muhabbat requires selflessness. Though both are translated into english as "love", they are not the same. Ishq requires an attraction. who we are attracted to is not in our hands. I may meet someone and feel it, or meet someone and not feel it. i think it can be physical or emotional. emotional attraction is situational. where i might become attracted to someone after sharing an experience, being in the same situation. or i might not. it would be an attraction that previously did not exist. either way. it's not in my control. i've seen this type of attraction bring together opposites, throwing the compatible character issue out the window.... now, when an attraction is combined with muhabbat.... when i am ready to give up all, sacrifice myself for the person i am attracted to. i think that is when Ishq happens. Passion! It is the most intense form of love two people can experience. And it can be onesided. in fact it often is. Yes, it is soo powerful that if it is disrupted or breaks down, It hurts. pain at its end is probably a way of knowing that you loved that person. pain seems to be common to all types of love. Such is also the case with muhabbat. muhabbat that has no element of attraction also hurts when it comes to an end.... most of the time Ishq seems to end badly. i think because we are human and we can become selfish at anytime. Selfishness and Ishq is a recipe for disaster. But Selflessness and Ishq. Wow!... I think its definitely true, that Ishq is not in our control. because attraction is not in our control. It can go as fast as it appears. But does that mean that a relationship must come to an end? I say no. If a relationship based on muhabbat exists. there can be shifts of sometimes Ishq, sometimes No Ishq. No Ishq in the beginning does not rule it out later. A loss of Ishq in the middle does not mean it won't return later. Anyone I've been attracted to at any point in my life is someone I still care for them in some form or another. Considering that irresponsible Ishq can become such a powerful destablizing force. I guess marriage was constructed to keep society stable. And unlike Catholic Christianity. I like to think that Islam allowed for divorce, due to cases when no attraction happened or too much selfishness kept muhabbat from developing.

attraction and compatibility

we've been lucky here in miami, the hurricanes bypass us. we got winds and rain, some people lost power. basically we got very very wet...

when it comes to love, what i believe must be done is not necessarily what i do. it's what i strive for. its my ideal picture. on a more human level there is still the element of attraction and compatibility. but nothing is clear to me. compatibility can mean having common personalities, having common experiences, having similar family background. i have many things in common with mahreen. but what if compatible people are complimentary to each other. in which case it has nothing to do with similar character traits. maybe we are complimentary to each other, i don't know. the science of compatibility is quite complicated. its more like an art. :-)

my masjid and me

last friday... i backed up my friend's right as a member of the masjid association to speak to the leadership. i back up my friend as he passes out a letter by opposition board members who seek to rehire our old imam. some shmo approachs him in an attempt to intimidate him. that shmo has done it before. physical intimidation has been used before. membership forms taken out of hands as more people are sought to join of the association. people pushed, people threatened. i wasn't there at the time. - last friday... my conversation with my friend is interrupted by a goon. in an attempt to intimidate us. this goon starts to raise his voice at us. i reiterate our right as members to him. i ask him if he is a board member. i tell him, if he isn't, he better step off. a board member tries to diffuse the situation. i reiterate our rights as members to him as well. i've never spoken with disrespect to this board member. and i tell him that i don't intend to be disrespectful now either. i tell him that these people better backoff. i am a member. - last friday... this board member, who happens to be the cause of the imam troubles, now knows that i am a supporter of his opposition. the goons see me talking to him about my rights in a raised voice. they are his goons. the head goon approaches me in a threatening manner. my friend gets in the way, facing me, calming me down. the goon says "get your ass out of the masjid." my brother and others come running to calm things down. the goon, that bastard, pushes my brother to the side with a hand to the side of his neck. as they walk me away, i get in his face. i look him in the eyes. "YOU PUT YOUR HAND ON MY BROTHER!" they grab me and walk me away. someone whispers to me that the police are coming. so i sit down at a table. "this is my masjid. i will not leave. i will sit here and calm myself down." - last friday... after things are calmed down. the police arrive. the bastard is pointed out. battery is a misdemeaner. my brother can file charges later if he desires. he chooses not to right now. the bastard is given a warning. the first time they got away with abuse. this time they were warned. there better not be another. i do not get intimidated. i excersize my rights. - after last friday... i confronted the vice chair of the board. i told him that it was time for him to act. time to stop defending the actions of people who hurt members. who threaten those of us who volunteer at this masjid. i told him that he must defend us. time for him to be a strong leader. when spoke to him nicely he has dismissed my concerns. so the next time i was angryer. i was louder. it was in front of people who backed up my concerns. it felt good. i don't care what happens. he a weak leader. he is weak. he needs to be replaced. - before last friday... i was marginally involved in the politics of this masjid. now i find myself being invited to secretive meetings of the opposition. i find their political ploting tiresome. i say "go ahead and do what you want. you are the board and you must resolve your issues." but i am a member who has a bigger picture. should i work to create another organization that empowers the members? should i go to NAIT to take the masjid out of the hands of a disfunctional organization? it is dysfunctional if working within the system gets no where. if speaking out gets you hurt. if members are not given the right to remove crooked or incompitent board members. if this plotting opposition has to find loop holes to take action. if it fails to ask us members what we want out of our association. i'll do it. i tell them this... dysfunction sucks. what do we do? i hate politics. i hate violent bastard goons more. they are a source of rage in me. i love people who do good. i wish we can empower them instead of "leaders". the less leaders we have, the better we are. the less interferance with those who do good. the less they plot among themsleves. the events of last friday reinforce these ideas.

the peoples masjid

Our masjid in Miami is going through Imam issues. A few weeks ago I came to the conclusion that having a permanent Imam often accomplishes nothing. When it comes to prayers in jamat, I favor what I shall call the "dawat system". It can be seen in action at any party(dawat) when the praying folk notice that it is time. They line up and usually the one they feel is most worthy to lead is shoved forward. I'd love to see it in slow-motion. Its almost like a dance when the first choice resists."you lead!" - "NO! YOU lead!" - "Please NO! YOU!" - "OK, I'll Do it DAMN IT, Halftime's ending!"... I like the idea of the empowering worshipper. An ABD/slave with the freedom to choose. NICE! The only difficulty is the Friday prayer. I have an idea. I like the South Asian way of splitting the sermon into two parts. One before the Azan in the language of the people. One after the Azan, after a pause for sunnah. The one after the Azan is in Arabic and is usually a ritualistic repetition of one of the Prophet's sermons. Then the 2 rakats are performed. Technically only after the Azan does the Jumah prayer begin. I'll call this the "2 Khutbah Solution": The Arabic Khutbah only really needs someone who has memorized the ritual sermon, or at least can read it... It is a good way to honor the elders of the community to ask one of them to do this and then lead the congregation in the 2 rakats. We have tons of elders, we should have no difficulty finding different ones to honor in this way. Now... For those who desire a sermon they can understand. We would still have the pre-Azan sermon. I think any community member should be allowed to address the congregation about any issue they care about. Just check with the masjid administration if the slot for this week is open. If it is then you just got yourself 15 minutes before the Azan. The sermon could be given by MAN, WOMAN, MUSLIM, NON-MUSLIM, YOUTH, anyone. Groovy!... I can bring a rotten tomato or egg to throw at the speaker in case I find the pre-Azan sermon boring or stupid. I've wanted to do it to soo many self righteous khateebs. This way no harm comes to my prayer cuz technically it wouldn't have even begun... What do you think?... I'm absolutely serious about these ideas. From what I've read, the above innovations wouldn't be violating the prayer requirements, its simply a modification of existing tradition and we'd solve serious issues of community involvement and empowerment. VIVA LA REVOLUCION!! peace and love.

marriage is

any relationship i have with another person is intertwined with my understanding of religion... A friend of mine is a student of an american sufi scholar. A few years ago, at his wedding, his teacher gave an interesting khutba. He said that marriage should be seen as a means to an end, this is the only way to make it successful... What end? I didn't quite like the idea of that. Some friends of mine used to think that they should find someone that is better than them so that they would be improved through the marriage. I didn't like that idea. So when the scholar said that the spouse should be a means to an end, I remembered my friends. But, for the scholar, unlike my friends, the end was the end of all ends. The ultimate goal was to be in the company of the Divine Beloved. At the time I thought he was talking about heaven. Many muslims cherish the idea of being able to see God in heaven, and thats their reason to get to heaven. its their ultimate goal. But now... I think that statement: "in the company of the divine" can actually mean a whole lot more. if the meaning can go beyond heaven and hell and include our earthly life... The scholar said that misunderstandings and differences about worldly things always arise between people. But there is away that differences can be kept from becoming problems. Both partners must decide that a marriage is for a higher purpose. Both must agree on that purpose. Both must be willing to let go of self in order to not destroy the chance to achieve the highest goal. No goal is higher than to be a companion of a beloved, especially if the beloved is Divine. because those that love God, are said to recieve is love in return... become a beloved of the Divine. Divine Love is the ultimate love. That is heavy duty stuff indeed. Hey, I believe it exists. I want to have complete faith in this.... Now, how do you become a lover of the divine?... On one of the TV channels here they show West Wing all then time (a show about the US presidency), its one of the only things I watch on TV regularly these days, anyways, in one episode they said a line that is stuck in my head now: “Act as ye have faith, and faith will come” it might sound like hypocricy. But I think its a good kind of hypocracy. Why? There are things that faithful people do. I may not feel that I have complete faith yet, but I should force myself to do those things. Because... The idea is that my actions have an effect on other people. So, I may not care for that filthy poor drunk down the street. But what if I was him, I should WANT to care about him. SO, I should force myself to go buy a burger and give it to him. The more I do it, the more I begin to do it instinctively. So, I guess the same can apply to love in marriage: If I want to have a loving relationship with someone, I should force myself to do loving acts. In the end, Love is like Grace from God, it comes from outside of the self, it is not under my control. If it comes it comes, if it does not, then at least there are loving acts being performed and the world has a bit more beauty in it.... Now how does this relate to my understanding of the religion of islam? There is a saying of Prophet Muhammad that this religion has three aspects to it: islam, iman, and ihsan. Islam is submitting, commiting yourself to following "the way", the shariah. Iman is beileving, having faith in the unseen. Ihsan means beauty, Ihsan results from practicing Akhlaq. Akhlaq = selfless acts, manners, good relations. Akhlaq as the means to Love requires a belief in Love. Akhlaq is the way selflessness develops. The theory is based on actions. Selfless acts chip away at the ego. Less Ego = More Faith (in Love). This is the principle that drives me. It drives my actions and my social activism. It will also drive my marriage.... At the time that i heard that sufi scholar at my friends wedding, I didn’t understand islam this way. Maybe this is what the sufi scholar was telling us. After being a captive of Rumi and Hafiz for the past few years. After teaching Akhlaq to teenagers, I have a deeper understanding of what he might have been saying: 1-Make myself able to love through selfless acts... 2-Make another person the object of my selfless loving acts, eventually becoming a lover of that person... 3-Know that people have a divine spirit; Know that the soul is a mirror that reflects the divine; Know that God manifests His divine attributes through people; Know that by loving the person I am loving the divine as well... 4-Once I love him, Allah accepts me as a divine beloved..... i become a recipient of divine Grace, Peace, Mercy, and thus a manifestation of these attributes. Thus the other person is a means to the highest goal. And if one is mystical enough, and aware enough, one would realize that Loving the partner as a manifestation of the divine, would make that PERSON the highest goal. So when I say "I love you" I am simultaniously, and with full force, saying "I love you Allah" and vice versa. Majnun's Layla. Rumi's Shams.... All of the above is possible without going through the formalities of "marriage"... It can be said that the only way to really know and love Allah is to love another person. No type of love is higher than the type refered to as Ishq. Ishq is the intense feeling to attain union with a beloved companion. And I guess Muslims constructed marriage so that order can be maintained in the community, Ishq without some sort of control to protect the individuals and community was probably seen as a danger... So, the only thing I look for is, can the person be someone that I can love in this way. In the end it would be nice if the love was returned, but i guess it wouldn't be necessary. Now... As for the mundane aspects of marriage: A legal means of procreation; designed to safeguard lineage; designed maintain patriarchical order; designed to control human lust. Its simply a contracted relationship between two people. Three issues come to mind that would make it a happy one: attraction, compatibility, selflessness... my thoughts on these later

mosque - my proposition to fix it

With an understood of the Mosque in Miami's background, I will move onto my propositions to make it an ideal american mosque.

...Every social entity (every institution of society that involves more than one individual) faces the challenge of defining its leadership. The family, the neighborhood, the city and the various institutions corresponding to each of these social entities face this challenge. A community association for a minority is one such institution.

...For some, leadership implies ultimate level of service, responsibility for fulfilling a trust, or a shared goal. But leadership also carries with it notions of authority, power and control. For many it also brings privilege and prestige. Positions of leadership attract those who desire these things, both positive and negative. Enter the baggage of politics.

...Every social entity has to navigate through the failings of human nature, especially when addressing a problem. The test is whether it can do it without destroying itself. Maybe the destruction of that social entity is the only solution. Maybe a revolution can bring the desired effect. By revolution I mean a drastic change in the social entity coming from outside the entity. It is a viable choice if the means of solving a problem are corrupted. Means of change are said to be a part of MCA’s constitution. So, a study of solutions from within might be a possibility.

...These days, there is talk of membership, votes, and petitions. There is an underlying notion of the democratic rights of members; the idea that no one is above the law.

** - Here's An alternative vision for my mosque:

...I desire a more participatory, interactive, open and spiritual place of prayer; where no authorities exist to hinder an individual’s relationship with the divine; where no one sect, school of fiqh, or movement controls anything.

...The one thing that has kept this mosque from becoming a dominated by any one sectarian group is that it is run by a community association. But this has also been the thing that has kept our mosque from become a place of spirituality.

...It has not become part of a good community center because its leaders lack vision.

...**What is needed is for the mosque to become what the word implies. A masjid, a place for sijda. A place for prayer. Nothing more. All that is needed is a Muazzen who can make the call to prayer at the prayer times. No fulltime imam is needed. Those present for the daily prayers line up, simply nominate the most elder, most learned among them, or most willing, to lead the prayer. It’s a simple tradition. It takes place in most homes or gatherings when people pray in jamat. It works just fine.

...In an earlier study of mosques, I classified types of mosques based on the size of its congregation:

#1- the Jami – a place for the entire community to gather for Friday prayers; #2- the Masjid – a place in a neighborhood to gather for prayer; #3- the Musallah – a place within a larger entity designated for prayer; and #4- the Janamaz – a mat for personal prayer.

...Here’s a new classification of types based on the way they operate:

#1- the community center; #2- the place of refuge from the mundane; and #3- the place for propagation.

...At the moment we have a stand alone Jami mosque that functions as a place for propagation. For the mosque to function as a community center it must have a pious social service minded leadership. For it to be a place of refuge from the mundane it must evoke enough physical and emotional comfort to evoke spiritual awareness, it must have a certain atmosphere that enables a connection to the divine. For it to be a place of propagation that does not become dominated by one group or another, it must become more open, allowing teachers to teach, preachers to preach, and people to speak.

...While there are mosques that are only one of the above, there are others that function beyond, maybe because of some particular local dynamic. To be successful at one can be relatively easy, more than one requires organization skills and better leadership.

...Our local dynamic is that our mosque is run by a community association. Another dynamic is that people think of this mosque as a Jami for this region of South Florida. Yet another dynamic is that people of South Florida desire a community center for area Muslims and this property is centrally located and large enough.

...I think that our masjid needs to become a Musallah within a larger community services center. It can still function as a Jami for all Muslims south of the county line and north of NW 103rd Street. But it should not think of itself as a stand alone Jami mosque with a permanent religious authority. It has the potential to be something else that the community needs.

...A community center on that property would be the fulfillment of the founders of the original association that found this property. The current MCA has failed to achieve the goal. It has devolved into the equivalent of a failed state. The property does not belong to the MCA. If the MCA is allowed to continue, it must go through a tremendous amount of change. Or, it must be replaced with something better organized to succeed. If not, it must be abolished completely and the members and leaders of this minority community should be encouraged to integrate into the larger community. Anything would be better than what exists now and the damage it is causing.

mosque - history in miami

Here’s what I think happened to make the mosque what it is in Miami. A minority immigrant community felt isolated from the mainstream and looked for something to belong to. The causes of these feelings of isolation are debatable. Regardless, many joined a Muslim Students’ Association based out of the local colleges. For them, it was not a religious organization. A small group amongst them was indeed religious and coordinated prayers.

...As the community grew, more prayer space was needed. Eventually a house, then a larger property was bought to function as a mosque for the community. Just because the Association now ran a mosque did not change the nature of the organization nor those who belonged to the organization nor its leadership. It was still that minority immigrant community that desired something to belong to. The only change was the name, Muslim Communities’ Association.

...So what exists then is a community association that runs a mosque. When procedural, operational, or religious situations arise with the mosque a phrase is heard: “This is not how you run a mosque!” Of course, there are various notions of what a mosque should be. Usually the critics are not in agreement on that issue. Usually the critics do not understand the history of the community association. They forget its nature, they complain about excessive “ego” or “politics” or lack of knowledge or commitment to the religion.

...At the same time it is important to not overlook the fact that this association is not the same as it was in the past. Over the years, its regional, ethnic, and religious diversity has been lost. The Caribbean Muslim leaders left to start Nur al Islam in south Broward. Leaders and residents from south Dade left to start Masjid Nur. Most of this happened in the early 90s after a period of major turmoil. You can consider the MCA to be composed of leftovers. Run mostly by Panjabi immigrants who had nowhere else to go.

the mosque - a place of refuge

Islamic Movement folk have wanted their interpretation of Islam as well as the primary institution of Islam, the mosque, to become the center of the state as they believe it was at the time of the Prophet.

...In old world Muslim communities, mosques had evolved into spiritual and religious realms. They became places of refuge; places to find solitude; places to glorify the Divine. Once a week they also became a place of reminder and awareness. Educational activities shifted to Madrasas and universities. Political activities shifted to the Dar al Imara. Social services shifted into institutions of their own. Hospitals, Inns, Soup kitchens, etc.

...But here in the new world, there is a revivalists dream. A chance to revive an imaginary idealized past. A chance to make the mosque more. A place where political, social, and cultural events take place right alongside the spiritual and religious.

...There should be no more doubt about it. There is undeniable proof that part of that dream has come true. The mosque in Miami is the center of the community. But the revivalists don’t seem to be around to celebrate. Why? The fulfillment of this dream is not because of the success of any of their programs. It is because of immigrant and minority dynamics of life in Miami.

...But is this what Muslims in Miami really need? Will the baggage that comes with politics and the inevitable halal/haram conflicts over cultural events undermine the role of the mosque as a place of solitude and prayer? Will we need a new place of refuge?

Tradition is...

Tradition is continuity. Tradition is security.
Traditions free us to focus on the doing rather than the figuring out how to do.
There are Cultural Traditions, Political Traditions, Family Traditions

...Individuals settle in an area, Individuals become families

...Ways of eating food, ways of clothing bodies, ways of building shelter are developed using what is available within and what can be brought from outside using available means. A Culture and Economy emerge.

...Ways of interaction, ways of maintaining order, and ways of making sense of difficult questions evolve. Ideas about Power, Authority, Laws, and God emerge.

...Change is inherent. Some people get bored, others desire to exercise the intellect. Innovations occur. Some innovations challenge the culture, the economy, the power structure, and the religion. Desires for continuity lead to ways of dealing with change. Traditions emerge.

...Traditions are powerful. Smaller challenges may be absorbed and incorporated into the society. But, some change can only happen through revolutions from within or Conquest by another power. Traditions are so powerful that they can be carried from one land to another by individuals and families. Becoming the foundation for a new society’s culture, economy, power structure, and religion.

...What happens to these individuals and families when they dwell among those who have traditions that are different from their own? What happens to them when they become isolated from their own kind? What happens when they desire to pass on ways they have learned from their tradition to their children? What happens when they desire their children to succeed in this new environment with its own traditions? Tough questions, few answers, lots of opinions. Notions about identity emerge.

...Welcome to the new world. A society of immigrants. With its own unique challenges. Where innovation is honored.

...Tradition is continuity. Tradition is security. Tradition needs the child.
They must also develop the skills needed to take on the challenges of American life. American life unfolds in stages:
...Age 0-4:baby-the struggle to live; ...Age 5-7:child-the struggle to learn the basics; ...Age 8-13:"tween"-the struggle to learn good and bad; ...Age 14-17:teenager -the struggle to fit in / find identity; ...Age 18-24:young adult -the struggle to learn what to do with life; ...Age 25-32:young professional -the struggle to do; ...Age 33-45:professional -the struggle to be; ...Age 45-65:expert -the struggle to teach; ...Age 65-x:elder -the struggle to die good

...The beginning of one struggle does not mean the end of an earlier struggle.
Each struggle is a preparation for the struggle that follows.

.... - The life of the immigrant is caught between two pressures. Change and Tradition.
But change is inherent. In fact the immigrant is a cause of change.

...Premise: doing good deeds for others is the most important common social value
...Premise: only the parent has the right to decide what values will be taught to the child
...Premise: no child likes being the odd one out, requires confidence
...Premise: when a youth is empowered to do, builds confidence

...Parents teach and encourage the child to be and do good.
...Parents make child aware about “us” and “them” through tradtitions
...Youth face the pressures of finding a place in the social hierarchy of High School

...A youth does good deeds in the society
...A youth struggles to find identity

...A youth group to do good deeds together
...A youth group to support the struggle to find identity

...All youth groups should be local, relevent to the local community and local traditions.