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| Khedr Abd Al-Mo'ti Khedr |
Thank God whose blessings insure all good for the
launch of the EU Muslim family campaign under the slogan "a
stable family forms a stable community." We shall pray for the
best father, grandfather, husband, brother-in-law, and the last of
the prophets and messengers: Prophet Mohammed, may God's blessings
be upon him.
This fortunate campaign is led by the Federation of
Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE) in coordination with all its
institutions in more than 30 European countries. The FOIE, in
supporting the campaign financially and intellectually, massed all
its scholars, preachers, spiritual guides, and intellectuals with
full capacity and strong enthusiasm to awaken people and correct
illusions. Various activities have been prepared to approach
individuals and families in the West. This campaign, in my view,
will be very fruitful for the whole European community as well as
being a fundamental fortification especially for the Muslim family.
Thanks to this campaign, both Muslim and non-Muslim communities will
soon co-live in an atmosphere of security and prosperity due to two
reasons.
Reforming the EU Muslim Family
The first reason is the reformation of the Muslim
family, which is now part and parcel of the European community. Such
reformation will definitely lead to a wide amelioration in the
European society. To elaborate, a stable community can be seen in
many shapes such as a good husband-wife relationship and effective
parenting. Any society has to guarantee a healthy environment for
upbringing children.
There is an educational theory that a child has to
have some fun and joy during his / her first seven years. Within
those years, the child might be guided without deterrent punishment
so that he/she could acquire decency and have, their parents, as a
good example to follow. Then, the following seven years the child
directly learns regulations, laws, and disciplines. After this
phase, the young boy will be able to show responsibility and can
support his family as well as his country. This theory is mostly
conforms to our God's, Most Glorious and Most Merciful, verse: (My
Lord! Bestow on them thy Mercy as they cherished me in childhood)
(Al-Israa, 24). Many institutions suffering from raising family
problems will benefit from this campaign. The Muslim family has many
hanging issues in different fields such as social affairs, police,
legislation, education, etc. All these problems will be tackled by
the campaign in conferences, forums, field visits, and researches.
Exploring New Role Models
The second reason, which reveals the importance of
the EU Muslim family campaign, is that the European family will be
able to find a model role for its members to guide them through the
way, that is the model of its stable Muslim family in the
neighborhood. The most wonderful way to approach our goal for all
families is to adopt the holistic methodology that will lead us all
to stability and happiness. That divine path softens the dry
materialistic life which cannot guarantee man's happiness despite
its strength and discipline. Neither did the scientific progress
secure a life-loving human being free from fears, and selfishness.
As the British philosopher Bertrand Russell says, "Though man
won his battle against nature thanks to knowledge, he lost his war
against himself where knowledge did him no good." He also
admits that religion can handle such war.
The EU family campaign, seeking both Muslim and
non-Muslim families in Europe, has carried the wholly congenital
righteous lamb. Obviously, it tackles all the problems facing
teenagers and matrimonial conflicts, as well as defending the rights
of the European woman when she gets married to a Muslim man. This
campaign encourages the couple to have patience with each other - we
shall explain this in the following paragraph.
Raising Generations
In order to illustrate this, we must say that human
beings sometimes ignorantly adopt wrong concepts for a life time.
This cannot be changed easily but with patience, understanding, and
counseling. According to this theory, both husband and wife should
tackle all negative issues in their life. Any couple should help
each other to raise a good generation that respects its identity and
its origins of both parents. This generation should be aware of the
social hierarchy inside the family and respect it.
The EU family campaign aims at achieving integration
and settlement without prejudice or ingratitude. Additionally, it is
a reminder for all who forgot the real goal of a Muslim in life so
that money and kids will not turn into a plague for them. Many
Muslim families' faiths have been tested during their journey,
especially the early immigrants. Their children, for example, have
strayed from the right path despite their luxurious life. This comes
as a proof of our Lord saying (Let not their wealth nor their
(following in) sons dazzle thee: in reality Allah's Plan is to
punish them with these things in this life) (Al Tawba, 25) Another
verse assuring that concept is "truly the flimsiest of houses
is the spider's house," an approved scientific fact. This great
image from our Holy Book shows how a family that is not deeply based
on the Islamic principles would meet the same fate of a spider's
house; to be crashed and destroyed. The family weakness comes from a
materialistic father and an unfaithful wife. Then follows the
impious children. All these reasons confirm the goals of the family
campaign.
Learning many sciences and achieving academic
excellences is the main road towards fortification. European Muslims
should also use their countries' language together with their mother
tongue, not to forget it. Most important of all is to learn the
Arabic language, that of the Holy Qur’an. Applying all these
pieces of advice, we will ensure having good offspring with all
useful knowledge, languages, and tempers.
Also a Campaign for Women
It’s a fortification campaign for women as well; a
campaign that will synchronize with the European celebration of
Woman's Day on March 8th. This campaign aims at wiping out the bad
image of women in the developing countries, then resetting their
roles in the European countries by giving good and righteous Muslim
examples. Thus woman will be honored and appreciated and her role in
family, society, and life will be stressed.
This initiative is considered a comprehensive
methodology to reform all family affairs introduced by the EU family
campaign in Europe. However, none can deny the importance of
materialism for people and countries.
With God's blessings, we launch the EU family
campaign in Europe, we call all the honest and sincere intellectuals
and media men, not only in the FOIE but in all free and moderate
institutions in Europe, to get involved in this campaign, each with
whatever they can do and what they are destined to. |
