Communication and Community Building
in the 21st Century
Dr. Pasha
(Bringing Islam to the World One Concept at a Time!
Taking the Qur'an to Every Home and Heart that Needs It --
And which One Does Not?)
I am proposing a national, international or at a least a regional conference for early December 2018 -- roughly during the second week of December or so.
And in that conference, I propose we consider some of the following topics and other related areas:
a) Community Building as National Imperative.
b) Role of Islam in Community Building.
c) Communication Needs of Indian Muslims.
d) Communication and the Muslim World.
e) Communication as Instrument of Cultural Transmission and Social Regeneration.
f) Role of Communication in Community Building: Both Muslim and Non-Muslim.
g) Cutting-Edge Communication Techniques for the 21st Century.
h) Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening for Muslims -- and also for non-Muslims -- around the world.
i) Communication and Islam and Muslims in the Western World.
j) Communication Needs of Muslims around the World.
I am submitting these ideas as food for thought and for consideration for anyone who would care or listen or pay attention -- at any level and in any part of the world.
These ideas and plans can be changed based on what Muslims -- anywhere -- see as their needs and priorities and as they are able to go forward with any of these things.
We will standby, Inshallah, God Willing, to offer any and all help and assistance we can.
Muslims everywhere should forgive me for saying this:
But I do not want to see this proposal, and any effort or event that may be associated with it, or that may spring out of this proposal, bogged down in arcane, meaningless, and generally unproductive, "Religious" quagmire in the name of "Islam" at the hands of "professional" Islamic scholars -- many of whom, may Allah forgive me for saying this, cannot see beyond their own noses.
And who, in many cases, have no clear idea what God's world is really like, and what really is going on in that world. Most of them neither understand Allah's world, nor do they have any idea what to do about what is going on in it.
Sadly, many of them do not even have the vision or the courage or the integrity to speak out clearly and emphatically about what is happening in God's world and what God Almighty's world is going through.
And those whom Allah blesses with the ability and the Tawfeeq -- Those whom Almighty Allah guides and pushes in that direction -- to speak, end up paying a high price for their candor and for their moral courage and integrity.
Many of them lose their lives and their livelihoods and their freedoms.
I wish I could talk about the Tableegh People, how they have turned entire generations of Muslims into virtual ignoramuses and Zombies, resistant to all change and knowledge, including "Islamic Knowledge" that may include the Qur'an and the Hadith, even when they are being read their own favorite book of Fazaa-il.
But I do not want to talk about them here and confuse the issue.
Most Muslim scholars and Ulemaa' of our time are worried about our Deen and our Aakhirah, while often ignoring or downplaying the affairs of our Dunya, right here in our worldly life.
But my big worry, on the other hand, is about our Dunya and our worldly life.
My submission to everybody who will listen is this: Do the best you can about your Dunya, the Aakhirah will take care of itself.
After all, did not Allah say in the Qur'an:
Yaa Ayyuhalladheena Aamanoo!
Qooloo Qawulan Sadeedaa!
Yuslih Lakum A'maalakum,
Wa Yaghfir Lakum Dhunoobakum?
Paraphrase:
"Hey Believers!
Speak the Truth and speak straight!
That will take care of your worldly needs in this Dunya.
And it will also take care of your Aakhirah!
And get your sins forgiven!"
And didn't Allah's Rasul, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, say what in effect clearly implied:
"Give water to a dying dog,
And that may guarantee you a place in Paradise?
Even if you are nothing but a woman of loose morals."
And I can never get over that Aayat Karimah that says:
"You undertake the effort,
And we will crown it with success!"
Alladheena Jaahadoo Feenaa, La Nahdiyannahum Subulana.
What more can anyone want?
END
