Title: Track 4 Challenges and Solutions for Dawah among Youth
1Track 4Challenges and Solutions for Dawah among
Youth Ethnic Communities
- June 27, 2004
- Dawanet Retreat
- Oakville
2Our Team
- Asif Zia
- Busher Fakir
- Hassan Syed
- Humairah Irfan
- Junaid Yousuf
- Shoeb Hosain
3Major Challenges
- Muslims not present in mainstream politics,
education, volunteering and media - Lack of media presence targeting youth (more
attractive programming) and ethnicities
(programming in their languages) - Unbalanced representation of leadership in our
masajid, and all types of organizations with
respect to - age, gender, ethnicity and at every level of
leadership - Lack of Muslim Role Models for the Youth to draw
and learn from
Contd
4Major Challenges
Contd
- Little investment in research and development
which results in lack of innovative techniques
and methods of providing dawah. - Lack of Knowledge of Islam preventing dawah
giving capibilities. - Not wanting to listen to people that you give
dawah to, just want to talk and convey the
right messsage.
5Were not in the mainstream
- Politics
- Education
- Volunteering
- Media
6Challenge
- Politics
- Lack of concern amongst ourselves with mainstream
issues - healthcare, economy, pension, taxation.
- Muslims are passive and dont want to bring up
issues of concern - Lack of reporting hate crimes
- Jewish community report hate crimes far more than
Muslim community
7Solutions
- Politics
- Khutbahs need to encourage holistic values
amongst Muslims, not only values of religion but
values of becoming an accountable Canadian
citizen. - Educate community re politics and increase
awareness of what is happening. - This Education will encourage Muslim candidates
to run for office. - Muslim Political Candidates need to start bottom
up, and prove their worthiness as a candidate by
volunteering in the community, making their name
known and sharing their time, only then they
should be running for office.
Actors Imams, National organizations, media,
teachers
8Challenge
- Education
- Low Standards of education - not balanced with
extracurricular activities, lack of personal
skill development (Communication, leadership
skills, organization skills, etc.) - Lack of preparation for students of the real
world or further education in the public system
(universities/colleges). - Lack of properly educated and trained
educationlists.
9Solutions
- Education
- Standardize curriculum, nationally or
provincially amongst all Islamic Schools ?
develop a national governing body to overlook
this curriculum - This body can be challenged with changes to the
curriculum brought forward by existing teachers,
parents, and students. - Need many more Extra-curricular activities for
our Islamic schools - Islamic Music, sports, arts crafts, debating,
etc. - Lack of openess with regards to conflicting
values that exist between Canadian values and
Islamic values (e.g. prom). - We need to be open about these issues and discuss
them with all parents/students, rather than
suppress the discussion of such topics.
Actors National organizations, school Principles
and Masajid, Educationalists
10Challenge
- Volunteering
- Not enough Muslim representation (as a group, not
individually) with regards to community
involvement - Ali and Omar may volunteer individually to these
events. However we rarely see organizations
volunteering as a group to attract attention and
give implicit dawah. - Lack of Muslim sponsored medical equipment,
hospital rooms, blood drives, marathon running.
11Solutions
- Volunteerism
- Need to sponsor hospital rooms, medical equipment
(e.g. Umar Ibn Khattab Dialysis Machine) - Need to support United Way, soup kitchens,
rallies, Breast Cancer awareness, Canadian blood
society as a group, with banners so that we are
accepted as an active component of society. - Concentrating our efforts in a group
- Build healthy competitions amongst organizations
and masajid re who will raise the most money
this month for Breast Cancer awareness? - Include media coverage of such events.
Actors youth, Imams, Muslim public
12Challenge
- Media
- Boring Islamic programs on TV, lack of
creativity, thus we require innovative and
interesting techniques for presentation of
topics. - Everything has become about religion most
programming has to do with religious ideas. Why
not talk about Muslim cooking? Muslim art? - No money to fund such programs in the media.
- Change target audience ? if we intend on giving
dawah we need to target non-Muslims in our
programming. Currently the only target is
Muslims.
13Solutions
- Media
- Muslims need to be encouraged to pursue careers
in journalism, TV production, and movies - School Trips to Media outlets and education
regarding these career options. - Need to become more innovative in Media, develop
attractive programming to target Muslims and
non-Muslims alike. - Need to encourage investment in such projects.
- Programming targeting general Canadian
- More holistic approach, encompassing other
aspects of life, not just religion - Employ media to introduce accountability upon
Imams and Muslim Leaders to question their
motives and actions, whether they are truly
helping Muslim Community.
Actors Students of journalism, technical know-how
14ChallengeNeed Muslim Role Modelsfor our Youth
and for Reverts
15Solution
- Big Brothers and Big Sisters
- Introduce mandatory mentoring programs in Islamic
schools - Allow networking of mentors and students,
according to their interests and goals in life. - Media coverage of exemplary Muslim role models,
successful in worldly AND religious realms. - Media coverage of exemplary non Muslim role
models who are helping the Muslim Community. - Allow Reverts to have someone to connect to just
when they have reverted to Islam as this the time
they are the most vulnerable as they have
isolated themselves socially. Need someone who
can be a role model to encourage and foster their
growth in Islam. - Establish Mentor teams
- These teams can go to Islamic schools and public
schools and inspire Muslim and non Muslim
students and share their successes and give
presentations.
Actors Role models from the community
16ChallengeUnbalanced Leadership Age, Gender,
Ethnicity
17Solutions
- Need to incorporate extra-curricular activities
into our school curriculum which will foster
qualities of - Time management, leadership, communication, and
organizational skills. - This will in turn train the new leaders of
tomorrow. - Leadership camps to encourage development of
leadership skills. - Establish Youth Advisory Committees to Masajid
and organizations (e.g. Mississauga Youth
Advisory Committee to the Mayor of Mississauga) - Create Leadership opportunities for youth, women,
and diverse ethnicities in our masajid and
organizations mandate in their constitution the
diversity of leadership with respect to age,
gender and ethnicity.
Actors Masajid, youth, public
18ChallengeHow to generateMoney?
19Challenge
- Currently, main source of money is donation only
- Main resource for donation collection is masjid
rarely do organizations collect as much money as
masajid. - Masajid rarely invest money outside the masjid.
- Further, the donors are usually the same
- Same Muslim families, businesses donate.
- Rarely any new ones donate.
20Solution
- Develop organized support for donations towards
other organizations which will invest in Canada. - Establishing a committee for zakat, to ensure
payment of zakat automatic bank withdrawls. - Establish other sources of income
- Fundraising dinners 1000 plate
- Entertainment events (i.e. Comedy Festival) with
500 plate. - Travel Agencies whose sole profit is donated to
organizations.
Actors Dawanet, national organizations,
businessmen
21ChallengeKnowledge of Islam
22Solution
- Dawah Training Program
- Need to establish baseline knowledge level for
potential givers of dawah. - Use existing websites as outlets for training and
education - Islam101.com
- www.irf.net
Actors Individuals, Dawanet
23ChallengeInability to Listen while giving Dawah
- Giving proper dawah entails time investment and
the exchange of ideas. - This is difficult if you are unwilling to listen,
discuss and debate the issues at hand. - The ranting of ideas and words is not only
ineffective dawah but essentially will leave the
person with a negative impression about Islam.
24Solution
- JUST LISTEN!!!
- Non-Muslims face MANY social problems
- Empathize with their problems and help provide
solutions. - Establish rapport and bonds of trust.
- Communicate and represent Islamic values and this
will be great Dawah! - Know the different ethnic communities
- Muslims should familiarize themselves with
others religious values as well as their
cultural norms and practices.
Actors Muslim public
25Thank You