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Muslims Need To Learn How To Articulate Themselves Better "It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the East and the West, but righteousness is this that one should believe in Allah and the last day and the angels and the Books and the prophets, and give away wealth out of love for Him to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and the beggars and for (the emancipation of) the captives, and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate; and the performers of their promise when they make a promise, and the patient in distress and affliction and in time of conflicts-- these are they who are true to themselves and these are they who guard (against evil)." (Quran: Holy 2:177) "O ye who believe! stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest ye swerve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do. (Holy Quran 4: 135) Montreal August, 6, 2002 (MMN Editorial) - At a time when the worldwide Muslim community and Islam is under vicious attack in the mainstream media and by various academic and right-wing fundamentalist circles, it is more important than ever that Muslims learn how to articulate their message to the world in order to defend the honour of Islam and Muslims. It is our opinion, however, that Muslims have utterly failed in learning this fine art and, as a result, our enemies have been able to maintain an upper hand over us. The distorted image of Islam has prevailed and little has been done to correct these distortions except, perhaps, by a few notable visionaries. In addition, as global economic forces are bringing the entire world under the control of an elite few and increasing worldwide inequities, Muslims have yet again failed to challenge and debunk the myths surrounding global capitalism. In fact, for the most part, Muslims have bought into many of its lies and distortions and have become party to the injustices and inequities which this system is perpetuating. We believe, however, that Islam has a message that goes way beyond the teachings of certain rituals or the observances of outward appearances. Islam, as an ideology and way of life, has a message that is so powerful and so compelling to the rational mind that it has the ability to shake the very foundations of global capital and bring this unjust system to a crushing halt. Many non-Muslim people and organizations have offered excellent critiques of global capitalism and the forces of globalization and are openly challenging the prevailing myths which it presents. Muslims, on the other hand, have yet to enter this struggle and as a result the Islamic message regarding this issue has once again been muffled. We cannot blame non-Muslims for this, but only have ourselves to blame for our lack of motivation and our utter slavish willingness to "go with the flow," as it were, instead of standing up for justice as our religion commands us to do. Our children are entering disciplines which do not provide them with the critical skills needed to challenge this system, nor is their religious knowledge adequate enough to appreciate the Islamic perspective on matters of social justice. We are more concerned that our children become "productive citizens" of society rather than being voices of true social change and champions of justice. In addition, we are not providing them with good examples, as we ourselves are doing nothing to ready them for the challenges they will most surely face when they become adults. We have to be honest and say that the message of the left leaning anti-globalization movement is much more compelling in its analysis than anything Muslim thinkers have yet to offer. As a result, many Muslims have become more involved in leftist causes and are no longer active in any meaningful way in their own faith communities as they do not see Islam or Muslims offering anything of substance that would address their legitimate concerns. As a result, they have been lured away from their faith tradition and look at modern day Islamic movements - which are more interesting in promoting narrow sectarian agendas rather than true social justice - with deep suspicion. This is especially true of our sisters, who feel marginalized and unappreciated for their many skills and valuable contributions they can make to the community. That is not to say that we should not be involved with groups outside our community which do good work. In fact we encourage it, as it conveys the message that we as Muslims are truly concerned about the issues of the day. In addition, a lot of their work can be put to good use for the cause of social justice as a whole. But at the same time, we should also educate ourselves on the Islamic perspective regarding these matters and be prepared to present them as viable alternatives. The Muslim community once and for all must break away from its isolationism and confront its detractors head on and engage them in an open debate and dialogue. Now, more than ever, Muslims should go forth possessing a spirit of humility and confidence that Islam has something wonderful to offer humanity. We as Muslims believe that Islam is a mercy to all of humanity, and not merely an opiate of the masses which does nothing more than dull a person's senses and make them complacent. Islam, as it was meant to be practiced, should imbue us with a zeal to bring about social justice so that all of humanity, no matter what faith tradition they may adhere to, will benefit. Muslims must learn the language that is being used in today's pressing public debates and be "witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice." (Quran: 5:8)
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