As I See It
By Azher Quader
Chicago, IL
"Chalta hoon thodi door har ik tez-rau ke saath
Pehchaanta nahin hoon abhi raahbar ko main"
- Mirza Ghalib
I walk for a little distance with each fast walker on the road
I cannot still identify the one who is my true guide
Judging from the responses we have received from our readership on Tariq Ramadan's article as well as the subsequent comments by Dr Sherman Jackson and Imam Magid, president of ISNA, we must conclude that our community's predicament is not much different from Mirza Ghalib's on the issue of who speaks best for our interests and therefore worthy of our following.
Clearly what Tariq Ramadan has articulated in his article is not new that he has not said many times previously. As always the question remains, if anyone is listening or just applauding for the moment and then going our busy ways making no effort to change and act on his advice. We are posting a speech he gave in Washington DC in 2011 where he said the same things and none can claim they did not hear.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoWh_v7Fy20
So the larger issue for us to address is about the need for change. Do we have what it takes to critically think about our positions, to liberate ourselves from the trappings of past assumptions and beliefs and motivate ourselves to change? Do we have the guts and the grit to embark upon a course of action that will necessarily challenge our comfort zones in ways that would test our sincerity of belief and our tenacity of purpose? Do we even believe that such an exercise is important for us to undertake or we should be content with the status quo and not venture to rock the boat, lest we all suffer the consequences which could disturb our peaceful ways?
Some can inspire us with their spoken words and some by their writings. All can easily applaud and clap or cry Allah Akbar. But that is not going to make a difference. In fact if you listen to his many speeches on Youtube, you will hear Tariq Ramadan repeatedly admonishing his listeners not to applaud but to pay attention and understand what he is trying to say.
Tariq Ramadan's message for engagement is not a new one at all. The prophetic model from Prophet Abraham to Prophet Muhammad ( PBUH on all) is replete with examples of lives committed to engagement in the societies they lived in. The trouble with us however is not that we are not engaged but that we are only engaged with our selves. Living in a self-indulgent narcissistic society we have become so absorbed in our own lives that the needs and concerns of those around us seem hardly to matter.
So we cannot be effectively engaged and make a difference in the lives of others without first working on ourselves, to build our own capacity, to change our own paradigms. Hence the relevance of self-awareness, education and living with integrity. That means learning our history, developing technology skills to communicate effectively and listening to different viewpoints in the media to understand the various issues of our times.
To quote another one of our favorite poets:
"Teri Khudi Mein Agar Inqilab Ho Paida
Ajab Nahin Hai Ke Ye Char Soo Badal Jaye"
- Iqbal
If a revolutionary change were to take place in your soul,
Without doubt the conditions around you can easily change.
And how often have we not heard the words of the Qur'an: "Allah does not change the condition of a people unless they change what is in their hearts." Ar-Ra'd 13:11
Yes change is what they all demanded and change is indeed the other face of struggle. If we believe that the path we are on is just fine, that the pace of change need not be questioned, that life has been enough of a struggle already, that we have paid our dues and it is for others to do what we could not do, then yes this prolonged argument is of little purpose. But if we believe that through our open conversation a level of collective consciousness can be raised to motivate even just a few among us to change and do more for the other, then this discussion has met its goal.
We have said this before and we will say it again: our worship and our service to our Creator cannot remain confined within the four walls of our masajids. Those who we claim to follow served His creation in ways that were infinitely more demanding and difficult. We can do much more. For starters we can register to vote and encourage others to do the same. We can mentor a kid struggling at school. We can teach computers, we can sign a petition to redress an injustice, we can help a refugee to get adjusted in his new life, we can serve the homeless, we can feed the hungry, we can counsel the under-served on the programs for education, poverty relief and healthcare and yes we can organize to make our voices heard in a host of issues that affect us domestically and internationally.
Whether we want to complain about our flagships like ISNA or our lesser known neighborhood masajids where we more frequently pray and play, we should realize that they only provide a platform. These platforms are for us to use. If they fail to perform it is because we are failing to use these platforms in proper ways. They reflect our attitudes and our shortcomings for engagement and the reasons for their failures. In a dynamic high-tech world of easy communications there is no place for closeted complaints. If we honor transparency we cannot run away from dissent and debate and we cannot ignore the leveling power of the digital world we live in.
On the issue of engagement versus disengagement we have repeatedly said on CBC's open platform that there is no place for the latter. For pursuing our common interests and improving the lives of our neighbors, it is imperative that we build powerful networks with like-minded people. It does take time and devotion and requires setting up goals and priorities and making ourselves accountable for reaching them. We will stumble on the way but we need to learn from our mistakes and rise each time we fall to stand up a bit taller. A healthy dose of humility is needed no doubt to learn from our failures. Our arrogance reveals itself under the garb of declared humility in so many ways, only we would know how to tell the difference. To be sure we cannot learn from our errors if we remain arrogant in our ways.
We cannot doubt the sincerity and dedication of our leaders and our fellow faithful. But the issue is not of sincerity or of intentions. It is always a matter of vision and paradigms. If we are unable to question them periodically to change and adjust course, will we ever get where we are hoping to reach eventually? That is the troubling question.
So we can continue to kick the can down the road some more and exist in our playful mode, harping on such buzzwords as unity and identity, refraining to question, recoiling against dissent, refusing to change course, only to the unfortunate detriment of our own future. Or we can decide to accept the challenge, get passionate about our beliefs, sharpen our skills, explore our resources, expand our connections and commit ourselves to serve, so we can become the angels of change, for a better future for all. The choice is obviously ours to make.
May Allah give us the wisdom and courage to make the right choices in all the days of our lives.
( Azher Quader is President of Community Builders Council (CBC), Chicago, IL)
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