Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Dear questioner, we would like to thank you for the great confidence you place in us, and we implore Allah Almighty to help us serve His cause and render our work for His Sake.
Muslims in every part of the world, not only France, should ask for their rights through the legal channels that the laws provide.
In his response to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
"Here are a few tips to follow:
1. Know your rights in a democracy and learn the language of the people to speak for your rights in a democracy.
2. Get out of your cocoons and be part of the wider community so that others know that you are not against them and so that they come to see you for what you are: law-abiding citizens who believe in freedom, dignity, and self-respect for everyone.
3. Let your mosques become part of the wider community instead of being obsessed with rituals and dogmas that have no relevance to the life of the people. Let the mimbar (pulpit) reflect the life-changing vision of Islam and the realities of people's lives.
4. Join hands with all peace-loving and democratic citizens for common purposes. Enlist their support in this struggle to protect the freedom to practice your religion.
5. Master the media and communications so that your message is conveyed to everyone.
6. Last but not least, trust in Allah and struggle for truth and justice, for that is what life is all about. Life, for those who are true to their faith, is all about struggle; we rest only in the next world. As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told his beloved daughter when he was on his deathbed, "After today, all toils of your father are over!"
Excerpted, with slight modifications, from: www.muslims.ca
You can also read:
Hijab in France: Muslims' Role
