WASHINGTON, September 5 (IslamOnline.net) - Muslims in America need to make leadership roles and integral part of their lives to succeed in the country, Muslim scholars have urged.
The topic was highlighted during the41 st Annual Islamic Society of North America’s (ISNA) Convention, where thousands of Muslims descended on Chicago as of Friday, September4 , in the largest Islamic gathering on the continent.
"Leadership must rise to the top of the agenda, " said Farooq Kathwari, a successful American CEO, at a lecture, entitled "Developing American Muslim Leadership."
He urged Muslims to get involved in discussions about all leadership roles.
Kathwari went on: "It is very important that all Muslims get involved in their community and find leaders to set good examples," according to an ISNA newsletter sent to IslamOnline.net by e-mail.
Improving Themselves
The speakers agreed that leadership in today’s context means someone with some level of success, or that, in other words, a leader is someone who supplements professional success by active involvement in society and mainstream organizations in this country.
Louay Safi, another speaker, agreed that leaders should speak out about values, live those values and be a good Muslim as well as a good leader.
People should be social and understand others, he said, and should seek to improve themselves.
"Don’t get too involved in Muslim rules and forget the purpose of the rules," Safi said.
Asked about what Muslim leaders should do about how some people may be excluded or discouraged from joining the leadership role, the speakers gave an emphatic response.
Imam Shakir said that in the case of women, for example, they should be pulled into those roles.
"We as Muslims should not pretend that we are not part of the rest of the world, " he said.
"It is all about the attitude."
The three participants explained to the audience what being a leader in this society implies how important it is that Muslims embrace these leadership roles.
They believe that Muslims should not only become leaders in all aspects of society but they should encourage others to take on these roles as well.
Once a leader, one should bring to this role the parts of Islam and verbally and implicitly express their values, they agreed.
Women, Youths
Hadia Mubarak, President of Muslim Students’ Association of the United States and Canada, was of the same mind.
She emphasized that it needs to be demanded that women be given space, access, and representation in the mosques throughout North America.
Youth should also weigh in, came the emphasis of other participants.
Monem Salam, well known in the Muslim community for his ability to connect and relate to the youth, opened his speech simply, yet powerfully, with a meaningful example and a more tangible illustration.
The narration was a powerful and emotional experience for the audience as Salam shared the many trials and tribulations a young revert faced in a world full of apprehension and misunderstanding.
This environment, he related, is much like that created after September11 . By establishing a basis to which the majority of Muslim youth growing up today could easily relate to, the audience fell silent as he ended on a basic, yet substantial, note.
Every year during the Labor Day weekend in the United States, thousands of Muslims from across the continent come to the ISNA Annual Convention to enrich their faith, celebrate the diversity of Islam, take advantage of the wealth of knowledge at seminars, enjoy ethnic delicacies and browse through the colorful bazaar.
The theme for this year’s convention is: "Islam: Dialogue, Devotion and Development" and is held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois from Friday, September 3 , 2004 to Monday, September 6.
Building Bridges
The participants further agreed that these efforts for Muslims to integrate with people of other faiths are equally important.
Two prominent speakers, Imam Muhammad Nur Abdullah, ISNA’s president, and Dauwd Wharnsby Ali, a revert musician, discussed the importance of dialogue and intellect in their lecture, "Beyond the Monologic Community" Friday afternoon.
Iman Abdullah states that the highest level of intellect is the ability to debate, "not to defeat someone, but to find a common ground to coexist peacefully."
Finding a common ground can be done through participating in activities involving our communities and over time building trust among people.
Ali stressed the importance of people of different faiths building bridges with each other, through dialogue, for the common good of all.
"Working towards a single common goal as opposed to many different ones is what brings us closer together."
Abdullah and Ali emphasized in their lecture the human’s ability to communicate with each other in order to solve interpersonal problems and to help build a strong community.
Interfaith Banquet
That was signified during a Friday interfaith unity banquet dedicated to those who have had plenty of practice in talking to people of all faiths.
Reverend Stanley L. Davis, Jr. was honored for his continuing work in interfaith relations plus his dedication to peace and justice with a plaque.
Kareem Irfan, Chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, said Davis’ representation at any interfaith event was equal to having Muslim representation because of his concern for our rights.
The recognition set the tone for the night, which was punctuated with children performing songs written and led by Dawud Wharnsby Ali, including “The People of the Boxes” and “Give a Little.”
Speakers at the ISNA Convention included Dr. Heidi Hadsell, president of the Hartford Seminary, Dr. Ingrid Mattson, vice president of ISNA, and Dr. Shanta D. Premawardhana, with the Interfaith Relations National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA.
Mattson pointed out that all religious leaders face the same challenge: to remove the stigma of practicing faith from the general public.
"Our goal is to seek out … and sip perhaps a little bit from the Holy Grail of peace, " Irfan said.
The invitation-only yearly event hoped to energize attendees, including politicians running for office in the Chicago area, to continue their efforts in years to come as well as recognize those who have taken time to go to interfaith events and create bridges in the community.
"We want to meet again and again. To create a better America, the presence of Islam is a necessity," said Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed, the Secretary General of ISNA.
Each of the eight guest speakers spelled out their hopes for the future, including ideas for dialogue, which reflects on the ISNA theme of this year’s convention, Islam: Dialogue, Devotion and Development."
However, these hopes are still facing obstacles.
One of the main keynote speakers, Dr. Tariq Ramadan, who was scheduled to address the convention may not be able to do so because the US government has barred him from entering the country.
Professor Ramadan, rated by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, was granted a visa in May to begin a teaching position at the University of Notre Dame only to have it revoked on August 2 by the US State Department on the recommendation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The revocation provoked outcry among American academicians.