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| Towards a Muslim presence in N. A. (Tariq Ramadan) |
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| jannah |
| 02/25/02 at 01:50:36 |
| Towards a Muslim presence in North America by Tariq Ramadan Over the past 20 years a profound change has been taking place among the younger generation of Muslims in North America. Forty years ago, most Muslim immigrants came looking for work or education and planned to return home as soon as they could. They had made no great study of Islam and continued religious practices that remained heavily marked by their culture of origin, whether Indo-Pakistani, Middle-eastern, African, or Eastern European. Assuming that their stay was temporary, parents at first tried to protect themselves from this unfamiliar environment rather than integrate themselves into it. But most of these original immigrants never left. Their children were born here, became fluent in the language and, in many cases, became more educated than their elders. The parents' dream of going home faded. The emergence of this new generation of North American Muslims has resulted in a new way of thinking and talking about the nature of Islamic communities here. Now a silent revolution is taking place. Old concepts that divided the world into two hostile camps--Islamic vs. non-Islamic abode --are outdated and need to be reviewed. The American and Canadian constitutions allow Muslims to practice their religion and should therefore be respected. Religious principles should not be confused with culture of origin: North American Muslims should only be Muslim instead of forever remaining Egyptian, Pakistani or Somali Muslims. Active citizenship has to be encouraged and a North American Islamic culture needs to be created. How? By respecting Islamic principles while adopting North American tastes and styles. Mentalities are changing fast. Islamic organisations are active at the local level, building bridges and encouraging Muslim citizens to vote. New artistic voices are being heard. But numerous challenges remain and a series of stumbling blocks exist within Muslim communities that need to be reformed. Too many Muslims are getting things mixed up. Problems of discrimination should not be taken as "attacks on Islam" but as the effects of social policies that we must commit ourselves to changing, as citizens demanding equal rights. We must not fall into a "victim mentality" and the alibi that Islamophobia is preventing us from flourishing. It's up to Muslims to assume their responsibilities, constructing clear arguments, engaging in dialogue both within their own communities and with others and rejecting the simplistic vision of "us vs. them." Instead, we should promote common values of equality, justice and respect in the name of a shared "ethic of citizenship". Over time, we must do away with the temptation to shut ourselves off as an isolated minority. By so doing, we offer encouragement to those extremist voices that argue 'You are more Muslim when you're against the West'. The Muslims of North America must be more self-critical. But their non-Muslim fellow-citizens need to make an effort too. They need to accept that North America's population has changed, that it no longer has a single history and that the future calls for mutual understanding and respect. They need to face up to their ignorance and reject the clichés and prejudices that surround Islam. They must start discussing the principles, values and forms that will enable us to live together. The new Muslim presence poses a series of unavoidable questions to all the citizens of the U.S. and Canada. Are you prepared to study the history of a civilisation that is present in your lives and forms part of your pluralistic society? Do you sincerely believe that Muslims--with their spirituality, ethics and creativity--have a positive contribution to make? The future of North America - with a flourishing Muslim presence and an open North American identity--will be built by all those who accept this challenge. It will be based on self-criticism, permanent and demanding dialogue, respect for diversity and the expression of common values. The path leads from simple integration to mutual enrichment. It's going to take time and, above all, it means that we're going to have to start trusting each other. After Sept. 11, I think that's the biggest single challenge we face. (Tariq Ramadan is a leading Islamic thinker. The grandson of Hassan al-Banna, founder in 1928 of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic revival movement, Ramadan currently teaches philosophy at the College of Geneva and Islamic Studies at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, and was formerly the president of the Association of Swiss Muslims. In "To be a European Muslin," he argues that it is possible to lead life as a practicing Muslim while 'living together' in multi-faith, pluralistic Western nation states). |
| NS |
| Re: Towards a Muslim presence in N. A. (Tariq Rama |
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| gift |
| 02/25/02 at 08:02:08 |
| [glow=red,2,300][slm][/glow] [quote]North American Muslims should only be Muslim instead of forever remaining Egyptian, Pakistani or Somali Muslims.[/quote] this is an interesting point - i think this problem exists in all of the western countries, it really makes me angry when people talk abt pakistani, bangladeshi, arab, wahabbi etc masjids >:( why do we have to label everything this way - isn't the label [color=Navy]MUSLIM[/color] good enough for us ??? [glow=red,2,300] [wlm][/glow] |
| 02/25/02 at 08:04:02 |
| gift |
| Re: Towards a Muslim presence in N. A. (Tariq Rama |
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| Kareema_Abdul-Khab |
| 02/25/02 at 14:45:50 |
| i think its because those masjids tend to encourage(sometimes unconsciously) that they are geared towards one ethnicity, or that the people who go there tend to be of one ethnicity. If a masjid does portray itself in the above manner, what's wrong with labeling it as so? ??? |
| Re: Towards a Muslim presence in N. A. (Tariq Rama |
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| iimaan |
| 03/18/02 at 14:13:23 |
| Bismillahirahmanirrahiem [slm] :-), Last month I attended a conference where I got to meet Tariq Ramadan. You should seem him live :o, he is so good with words and telling the things like they are. THUMBS UP!! Salaam, :-* |
| Re: Towards a Muslim presence in N. A. (Tariq Rama |
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| Yasin |
| 03/20/02 at 22:14:28 |
Assalamu alaikum My first time i saw him was in 1995 in french TV program with peres (isrealis foreign minister), the host and audiences asking both of them middle east situations and about terrorism..he is masha'ALLAH very knowledgeable person and he make clear the massage of ISLAM that night..I heard that french authority didnt allow him to visit france though his wife and his children are french citizen . ThE-YaSkA ;-) |
| Re: Towards a Muslim presence in N. A. (Tariq Rama |
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| iimaan |
| 03/21/02 at 07:43:19 |
| [quote author=Yasin link=board=library;num=1014619836;start=0#4 date=03/20/02 at 22:14:28]I heard that french authority didnt allow him to visit france though his wife and his children are french citizen....[/quote] Bismillahirahmanirrahiem [slm] ;-), Do know what the reason is ??? Salaam, your sis in Deen and Blood. |
| Re: Towards a Muslim presence in N. A. (Tariq Rama |
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| Yasin |
| 03/22/02 at 14:44:08 |
[wlm] :-) [quote] Do know what the reason is [/quote] What is it? ur bro ThE-YaSkA ;-) |
| Re: Towards a Muslim presence in N. A. (Tariq Rama |
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| iimaan |
| 03/25/02 at 12:41:29 |
| [quote author=Yasin link=board=library;num=1014619836;start=0#6 date=03/22/02 at 14:44:08]What is it?/quote] Bismillahirahmanirrahiem [slm] ;-), :D no, I meant 'do =>you<=know what the reason is?', my mistake.... Salaam, :-*. |
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