|
Creative Solutions:
Muslim Youth Day at Six Flags Houston
Islam Online, Houston, TX
14/11/2000
The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) organized a Muslim Youth Day on November 12, 2000 at Astroworld in Houston, TX as a creative solution to the dilemma that many Muslim families face when they seek out avenues for entertainment. The first event of this type was held at Six Flags Great Adventure's North Star Arena at Jackson, New Jersey in Ocean County on September 9, 2000. Following the overwhelmingly positive feedback from that event, the Houston unit of ICNA, under the leadership of Ayub Badat, mobilized tens of volunteers to hold a similar event in Houston.
Families from Austin, College Station, Dallas and, of course, Houston arrived as early as 10 in the morning to get started on a full-day of fun for everyone. Young Muslims of all races and nationalities ran around trying to decide whether the length of the wait for a ride outweighed its potential thrill. The favorite rides for youth were the Grease Lightning and the Cyclone. Fortunately, the amusement park was hosting a Special Events Day and was reserved for various groups so overall attendance was not high and the lines were not very long.
“More than 8,000 Muslims, both orthodox and non-practicing, jammed into the amusement park wearing a range of Muslim garb. Some women, reflecting Islam's most devout branches, dressed in black head-to-toe riding roller coasters, they mingled comfortably with the rest of the crowd. Merchants brought in for the day sold prayer rugs, books, nonalcoholic perfume and other Islamic goods bearing Allah's name.”
(excerpt from The Star Ledger, 9/10/00)
|
Prayers times were observed with great punctuality. The added touch of the adhan being played throughout the park made it all the more special. Parents and children alike were seen rushing through the park towards the grassy area by the amphitheatre. Straight lines formed relatively quickly and before you knew it, the Muslims were establishing salat in Astroworld amidst the backgrounds of people screaming their lungs out on rides like the Grease Lightning.
Throughout the day, organizers had arranged programs in the Showcase club, with presentations from Islamic schools as well as performances by the famous Al-Nujum band. Parents and children alike appreciated the diversity and talent that was displayed by students of the different schools. Young children sang their hearts out, and the artist most often invoked was Dawud Wharnsby Ali.
The rain held off until later in the evening when, unfortunately, not as many people stayed for the main program, which was held outdoors in the amphitheater. Mohammad Yunus, President of ICNA; Suhail Ghannouchi, President of the Muslim American Society; Merve Kavakci, Parliament member from Turkey; and Altaf Husain, President of the Muslim Students Association of the United States and Canada each briefly addressed the audience. As the rain started to pour, the evening came to an end – almost exactly at 7 p.m., the time it was scheduled to end.
Among the organizations to sponsor the highly successful event were the Islamic Society of Greater Houston, the Muslim American Society, and the Muslim Students Association. Various bazaar vendors sold delicious food items, books, tapes, and clothing while ICNA volunteers handed out dawah literature to park-goers as they entered through the main gates. Throughout the park, some 20 large banners were hung, each displaying a different verse of the Qur’an. It was a wonderful sight indeed to see thousands of Muslims, many in their traditional ethnic clothes, enjoying themselves and, most of all, doing dawah simply by being in the midst of all the non-Muslims there who had come for the same reason – a fun day for the family at the amusement park. A creative solution indeed!
|
