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Name
A. Mokhtar
-
Profession
Question
In view of the recent Rand’s recipe to handle the Muslim world, do you think this will have a negative impact on Muslim minorities especially in North America? What possible changes could happen to US policy in dealing with Muslims?
Answer
I don’t think this report was meant to affect the Muslim minorities in North America. The only place in the report that gave a role to Muslim minorities is when it recommended the use of these minorities to help implement the strategy outlined in the report. However, I think that Muslims living in North America could play a significant role in bridging the gap between the West and the Muslim world, in a way that is more constructive than the role assigned to them in the report.
Name
Abdullah Assaf
- Canada
Profession
Question
How do you evaluate the performance of Muslim organizations in the post 9/11 phase, and what need to be achieved other than political activism and empowerment programs?
Answer
Muslim organizations are much more active today than before 9/11. They have become more aware of the cultural prejudices and negative perceptions that the media is producing everyday to demonize them. However, I don’t think that political activism, even though it is important, should be the first priority of Muslim communities. I think that investment in academic institutions, media and interfaith should take precedence. It goes without saying that before political activism there needs to be a wide-ranging cultural and social reception that serve as a foundation of future political activism. That is why the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was more socially involved in his society that he dedicated 13 years in Makkah to change perceptions and conceptions before becoming involved in any action that could be described as political. Politics implies some level of confrontation, but before any confrontation happens efforts must be exhausted in building the power of conviction.
Name
Mona El-Sayyed
- United States
Profession
Question
Don't you see that Muslims, especially in US, have built so many organizations, schools and institutions but not enough people to carry the message? Look at the number of conferences ISNA has organized in the last 20 years, including the huge cost involved, and compare it to the development programs that empower the youth and help build capable persons and intelligent minds to help in the process of change. I don't want to sound pessimistic but this is the reason that I felt after attending almost 15 conferences so far, with all my due respect to the beautiful scholars and speeches delivered.
Answer
I agree with you that we have a problem of efficiency and quality in the activities and conferences organized by Muslim institutions. Similar to you, I attended a number of conferences, and comparing the cost incurred in holding these conferences to the result accruing from them, I felt that the results were below my expectations.
One of the reasons, I believe, for failing to produce those “capable persons and intelligent minds”, is that Muslim organizations unfortunately do not invest in training and empowering talented people especially in the area of humanities.
For example, Muslims organizations as well as Muslim countries need to help establish Islamic studies chairs in universities, think tanks institutions, English-speaking media, etc. instead of always complaining about the negative portrayal and stereotypes of Muslims by the American media and academicians.
Name
Khalid Mohsen
-
Profession
student
Question
Assalamu`alykum my dearest Sheikh. I hope my question relates to the topci somehow. I am almost finishing my school and I have good grades alhamdullilah. I have inclinations to medicine and journalism, and economics at the same time. I know that sounds a bit weird, but this is the case...I love all three. I am asking you for the best that can benefit Islam better in North America, and based on which I will try all my best and put my trust in Allah.
Answer
This is a good question. I believe we are alhamdullilah blessed by many Muslim physicians and economists, but we are in a desperate need for Muslim journalist and political scientists.
Name
Jabin
- Bangladesh
Profession
Freelance Writer
Question
Salaam;o u think it's after 9/11 , Muslims have got a better chance to let non-Muslims know about Islam? How many non-MUSLIMS accept Islam on average per year in USA?
Answer
The 9/11 atrocity did not bring any good to either Muslims or non-Muslims. It opened the door to two wars and the death for thousands and thousands of innocent civilians, and put the Muslims in the west in critical situations. It also re-kindled the past hatreds and prejudices that we thought they were shrouded in history.
If Muslims want to present Islam to the American or other western people, they have the means to do so graciously and wisely.
As for the average of non-Muslims converting to Islam per year in the US, I don’t have accurate and reliable statistic in this regard. What I know for sure is that the atmosphere of mistrust is always unhelpful to convey the message.
Name
Adel khurshed
-
Profession
Question
How do you see the future of Islam in North America? An honest analysis of the challenges and opportunities?
Answer
The permanent presence of Muslims in the west is still a new phenomenon. But we learn from history that with long presence and positive interaction, people start to willingly accept Islam. This was the case with many countries in Africa and Asia, when Muslim migrated and settled there.
As for the challenges, some of them are: the old legacy of enmity between the Islamic world and Christendom that still producing a conflict of perception regardless of changing realities. The other challenge facing Islam is the Muslims’ lack of familiarity with the western culture and way of thinking. One of the Egyptian intellectual asked for Occidentalism as a response to the western Orientalism.
As for the opportunities, the most important of them is the open space in western societies due to the fact citizenship is no longer based on faith but geography. The other good opportunity is the convenient mass communications that enable anyone to convey his beliefs and message.
Name
Denis
-
Profession
Question
How could there be a future for a faith that is based on the belief that nobody is to be left safe unless they testify that there is no God but Allah.
Answer
Scholars of the history of religions found the root of the holy war concept in the Old Testament, especially in 1 Samuel 25:28, Numbers 21:14, Exodus 14:14, even the Gospel of Jesus, peace be upon him, if we take it as in the hands of Christians today, contain few verses that are apparently praise the sword and war. Examples of this are Matthew 10:34, Luke 12:49, Luke 12:51, and Luke 19:27.
For a fair-minded Muslims this does not that Judaism and Christianity are in essence religions of war.
To read more about the issue of war and peace in the three Abrahamic faiths from a comparative perspective, please read my article on Islamonline:
From Holy War to Holy Peace
Name
Ghada Safeer
- Canada
Profession
Question
When can the 8-million Muslims in America come together and establish a media channel so they can speak freely and explain to their fellow citizens who they are and what they stand for. This is better than conferences, as in the question of sister Mona?
Answer
Politicians and strategists always refer to two types of power: the soft and hard. The soft power refers to the power of persuasion, which has been neglected by contemporary Muslims for long time, and therefore they have suffered from others’ exploitation of it. The only solution to this problem is through a powerful, credible media funded by Muslims. Western Muslims are the most qualified for running this endeavour because of their familiarity with western societies and languages and their high level of education.
Name
Editor
-
Profession
Answer
Finally, we would like to thank Sheikh Muhammad Al-Mukhtar Al-Shinqiti for taking the time to answer the questions of Islamonline viewers today, and we also thank all those who participated in this dialogue. We encourage our readers to join us in upcoming sessions.
