Ghenwah Jabouri
Staff Writer
KUWAIT: Local British Muslim Imam Mohammed Daniel who attended a seminar in Doha, Qatar, entitled ''The Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow'' (MLT) in January, spoke to Al Watan Daily exclusively about some of the issues that were discussed in the seminar. He also addressed some of the challenges that face Muslims today.
The conference took place Jan. 16Ü19, where the next generation of Muslim leaders gathered in Doha to share skills and discuss their most urgent collective challenges. The 300 dynamic Muslim leaders in attendance, hailing from over 75 countries, debated solutions to pressing issues such as the global Muslim crisis in authority and the mandate to promote peace over extremism from within.
According to the official Web site, the 2009 MLT Doha Conference was organized by the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA), in collaboration with the Cordoba Initiative and U.N. Alliance of Civilizations (AoC). It was sponsored by the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue (DICID), with additional support provided by One Nation: Liberty and Justice for All.
Mohammed pointed out that his presence at the conference was due to the fact that he represents Kuwait as a dynamic and religious leader of tomorrow having accomplished many projects in the country. The Imam pointed out that Muslim leaders of tomorrow are looked up to not just by their constituents but by their peers as well.
He spoke about how the conference tackled some of the problems that are faced by Muslims today. "Religious authority Ü promoting those Imams who are qualified and moderate, identifying causes of extremism, especially in "Western" societiesÜwhat is solution to them? Framing more information in the media, more ownership of moderate Islamic voices, give people an outlet, using democratic process to elect moderate leaders but also lobbying the moderate Islamic figures, to support democracies and not dictatorships, unconditionally renouncing terrorism against civilians and not making excuses."
"We live in an age where the true teachings of Islam have become indistinct between the liberalism of soÜcalled ''Progressive Muslims'' and the extremism of ''Radical Muslims.'' I feel that these voices are hijacking Islam and the worldwide, moderate peaceÜloving Muslims have to struggle to reclaim Islam and show the world the true wisdom of Islam," Mohammed explained.
He pointed out that to achieve peace in the Middle East, Western governments should see to it that the Zionists comply with U.N. Resolutions 194, 242 and 338 and not simply apply the U.N. resolutions when it suited them.
The scholar read out a verse from the Holy Quran to better exemplify his message: "In chapter two, verse 143, Allah calls us the best nation as we are moderate and justly balanced. This is corroborated by the saying of the Prophet (PBUH) ''The best way is the middle way.''"
There are many ways that society can improve this situation, Mohammed noted: "Let us start with the media seeing as you represent them. There needs to be a more balanced coverage of Islam in the media. Disproportionate coverage of extremists only exacerbates Islamophobia and causes further cleavage between Western powers and Islam. How many media outlets covered the Grand Mufti of Russia in his recent Eid sermon expressing appreciation towards Patriarch Alexy II of the Russian Orthodox Church for his defence of Islam? He called the Patriarch a peacekeeper, a person of open spirit, an advocate of strengthening religious peace, promoting a dialogue and cooperation between the traditional regions of Russia. And in comparison how many cover the ranting of unknown radicals on the same day. How many covered the recent antiÜterrorism convention condemning terrorism between Muslim and Hindu scholars attended by thousands of devotees? How many covered the recent award of a Canadian Muslim with the Order of Canada. And the list is endless."
Mohammed pointed out that what was "even worse is the media''s willingness to stimulate extremist reactions from this tiny denomination of Muslims. Take the Danish cartoons for example: You find that JyllandsÜPosten publish caricatures ridiculing the Prophet Mohammed in the name of freedom of speech and when they were eÜmailed with cartoons of Jesus Christ in 2003, what does the editor replies with ''I don''t think JyllandsÜPosten''s readers will enjoy the drawings. As a matter of fact, I think that they will provoke an outcry. Therefore, I will not use them.'' So what do we find, but hypocrisy and double standards in the portrayal and media relation of Islam?"
"You currently have an atheist onslaught in the West. I was recently in London and saw posters on public transport denying the existence of God," he lamented. "If they can exercise free speech why aren''t Muslims and the ''People of the book'' (Christians and Jews) joining hands to launch a similar campaign proving that God exists."
"Why both parties need not to forget the past, but learn from it; they should look at the coÜexistence that Islam afforded other faiths particularly in the time of Saladin and Islamic Spain. They should take the Andalusian model and find similarities that bring them together. We have to get over suspicions and misperceptions that each party has of the other," he explained.
The religious scholar asked: "Why can''t we have more interfaith and intrafaith work?"
"I have said it before during meetings on Muslim youth and I will say it again. Education plays a huge role in creating a better understanding between cultures and religions. The current education system needs a complete revamp. I myself being an educator have found that for children to ask questions and make mistakes in the Arab culture and classroom is frowned upon. It was not always like that as we can see from Islamic contributions to philosophy etc. Critical thinking skills need to be taught from a younger age to our children. So if an extremist comes to our children and tries to brainwash them they are not so na•ve and are able to ask questions and think for themselves," Mohammed asserted.
The religious scholar promotes Islam in Kuwait by using various mediums, including, lectures, workshops, helpline, articles, in the youth magazines, conferences, and he is in the process of exploring new ways and avenues to extend his work. Mohammed welcomes any ideas or opportunities for collaboration and can be contacted on mohammeddaniel@gmail.com.
Last updated on Tuesday 10/2/2009
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