October 16, 2004
Conferences and Speakers: A Partial Primer
Section: WRITINGS | 105 reads
Invitation
Take full and complete responsibility for the invitation: for each and every stage and aspect of the entire process. That means – to mention just one step of the process – those responsible for the event at the highest levels should also do the actual invitation and not relegate it to their underlings and junior assistants.
While it is all right to use speaker’s friends and contacts for introduction and access, it is essential that invitation is extended to them personally at the highest level from the organization soliciting their services. Sometimes, if the program director of a conference makes the initial contact and extends the invitation, it is important that the president of the organization or community then calls to express happiness that the speaker has accepted the invitation and to ask if he or she could do anything to help.
Unfortunately, many of these things are unheard of among Muslims. Sadly, too many of us resort to an old-world ghetto culture when dealing with some of these things, rather than doing things the proper British, European or American way. That is why I am making an effort to educate us on the proper Islamic courtesies and manners of inviting speakers to come and help us out with our program. It is a sad commentary on the Muslim state of affairs, if the right Islamic way of doing things turns out to be the British, European or American way.
Logistics
Here are several things you need to worry about if you are going to do things right – Islamically, that is, or even doing them the British, European and American way:
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Take full responsibility for the speaker and the visit. From the moment the speaker accepts your invitation he is your guest and therefore your responsibility. Don’t forget honouring the guest is an important part of our Deen.
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Keep in continual touch with your speakers – of course, don’t hound them 24 hours, they may have other things to do besides being with you on the phone – to make sure every thing is going well and satisfactorily with the planned trip. Take nothing for granted. Unremitting follow-up is the key to success in program planning and execution.
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This means, for example, it is not the speaker’s job to call you to let you know that the tickets never arrived. It is your job to call and make sure that they did. And that everything is as agreed on earlier between you and the speaker.
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And then there is the question of who is going to receive him? Where? Be very clear as regards where he is going to be taken from that place? Don’t send the underlings, go yourself. Your top leaders also must be part of the team that goes to receive your guest.
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Where is he going to eat, stay, rest, and all that?
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Who is going to take him to the airport at the end of the program? When? How?
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Have all the arrangements been made? Have all concerned individuals been informed and are they all fully on board?
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If he is coming from a foreign country, what about visa and other arrangements? And what address and phone numbers should he give the immigration authorities at the airport? What if he runs into trouble at the airport with customs and immigration officials? Who will help him?
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All these – and many other details like these – need to be carefully worked out beforehand and meticulously put into practice. Don’t forget often it is the details that make or break a program.
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Make sure you provide the speaker with as much detailed information as you can about every aspect of his trip including the program.
These are simple things, but they are extremely important. Let me put it quite clearly: Much of modern-day corporate culture takes its cue from Islam – though not consciously and with proper acknowledgment – when it comes to interpersonal and professional courtesies and etiquette. If we don’t learn these things from one – Islam – we have got to learn them from the other – Western corporate culture.
Full Disclosure
I have something personal to say on this subject. This piece was written several months before September 11, 2001 and before all the doomsday scenario that broke loose in its aftermath.
Here I am, warning and begging the Muslims for things like full disclosure – and I have been doing that for a long, long time before that – and yet not too many people seemed to take my calls and warnings seriously. Those were lonely times! You felt some of the things some of us seemed to be doing weren’t right; you made whatever noise you could in your own limited way; you demanded full disclosure at every opportunity you got; and yet no one seemed to care or pay any serious attention to what you were saying.
What many Muslims don’t seem to understand is that Islam is an information system based on the principle of full disclosure. So, right at the outset, you must make sure to tell the speaker everything you can about your activities and affiliation. And here is some of that material:
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What group, organization or community is putting the event together for which you are inviting this speaker? With whose support and participation is it being done?
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What is the nature of the program?
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Who else is on the program?
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Where is the money coming from?
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Who are the participants? Their likely size, number, age, gender, education, occupational background, interest level?
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Where and in what setting is the program taking place? What type of hall? What seating arrangements? What type of podium or stage? What technology is being used?
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Who will run the sessions?
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Will there be questions?
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Will the program be audio – and/or videotaped? If so, what happens to the tapes? You know those tapes don’t belong to the people, group, organization or community doing the program but to the speaker. So you have got to make it very clear to the speaker that any material coming out of that program is his alone, and that nothing from it will be used without his express permission. And that tapes will be made available to him at the end of the meeting or immediately thereafter.
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It is important that you avoid involvement with groups, organizations and individuals considered to have a “terrorist” connection by your government or by other governments.
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It is equally important that you let the speaker know about anything that may compromise him in any way.
Islamic work in the West – Islam anywhere or at anytime – is not a secretive, manipulative, underhanded operation. It is not trickery or coercion. It is not covert deals and deception. It is open as the sky and bright as daylight. Allah’s message is a shining light – Noorun Mubeen! And it is Noorun Alaa Noor – light upon light!
Our job as Muslims is to convey that light to the maximum number of people with as much faithfulness and fidelity as possible. Thereafter, it is their job to decide what to do with it. This right and power to make their own decision is a blessing given to all human beings by their creator and no one has a right to encroach upon it.
At all times we must be mindful that any attempt to convey the message of Islam, no matter at what level it is undertaken, must be done in the best possible manner, as the Qur’an puts it – Billatee hiya Ahsan (?????).
Next Article: SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 – THE Muslim Story and A strategy for Coping – Part One
Previous Article: REACH OUT, MUSLIMS! How to change the world, One thing at a time
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