As'salaamu 'alaykum,
A common complaint against the muslim community is that we lack integration in common society. I do not agree with this notion, but I do recognise that we could do more. What I would like to know is how integrated you feel you are with your own community. I do not mean hanging around with your muslim/non-muslim chums, but becoming agents of change, being involved, participating, and playing a greater role strengthening community relations. Becoming a school governor, community support officer, media savvy, etc
It takes effort to become actively involved in your community, and making positive contibutions, but I feel that this is a road that we have not fully considered travelling upon or developed to any significant level.
I recently read about a church that created a community action team to offer services to their local and wider community. What a lovely idea. Through their services to the community, they offered parenting courses, debt advice sessions, anti-drug initiatives, babies clubs, homework clubs etc. Our community isnt as developed as other groups who have a longer history in the UK (i.e. Jews, Catholics), but it would warm my heart if our own community could contribute to the wider society in that way. Many blessed souls sacrifice their time and energy into integrating with their community, and engaging actively with each other.
Are we fully integrated into our wider community?
Depends what you mean by integrated?
If integrated means i gotta start acting all westernised than thats not really appealing. What do you mean by integrated? That we gotta have bake sales and eat Shepard's pie??
There are Muslims in all professional areas. What else do you want? Not everyone is comfortable going around preaching 24/7. And the mosques are certainly not up to it. We lack organisation.
And it doesnt help that some people go around saying this innovations astagfarullah, and all that. We certainly dont help our own cause.
When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it is not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end.
I suppose there are many angles to the word and concept of integration.
If every career allows for that, then why do people volunteer? Why do people vote? Why do people speak up for the disadvantaged? Why do people work as school governors? Why do people write to their local MP when they want to complain?
We complain that non-muslims vilify us in the media, but we do not take action to counter-act that negative press. It could be as little as e-mailing BBC when we see a negative news report, or more long-term such as working over the weekend in the local Oxfam shop.
I know that we cannot force muslims to be active members of society, but we should encourage it, shouldnt we? :? Otherwise we'll always sit on the back-burner. :? I dont like the idea of living in Muslim ghettos :?
What about actively engaging and participating in our community?
May Allah shine sweet faith upon you this day and times beyond. May your heart be enriched with peace, and may your home be blessed always. Ameen.
Sure, we should be doing stuff like that. Your post really made me think, Good one!
In my community it is like all the muslims just stick together, and are all working hard to just improve things for the muslims, there doesn't seem to be much Da'wah work for the non-muslims. at least thats what it looks like from my perspective...
'Allah gives and forgives
Man gets and forgets' Baba Ali
http://halfDate.com
I think that this DOES already happen a lot (though there's always room to improve/grow), at least around North and West London.
My mum used to work in overseeing out-of school clubs, community groups and other similar things to the ones you have mentioned... the vast majority of these groups (which rely on volunteers) were from Muslim immigrant populations.
And I'm yet to see a Muslim 'ghetto', I think that this is made up by the Daily Mail/David Cameron. There are some areas which are predominantly Muslim, of course there are, just like there are areas which are mainly Caribbean, Italian, Jewish or Irish. A ghetto is when, by law, no one is aloud 'in' or 'out' of these areas, which is a myth.
Maybe in the North of England it is different - Oldham and Bradford riots etc MAY have been caused by something similar.
Don't just do something! Stand there.
BTW, the title of this is incorrect, if it refers to the UK.
We are not 'citizens', we are 'subjects of the Queen'.
Don't just do something! Stand there.
My good friend (who lives up north) has told me on good authority of the clear division that exists between different the muslims (or should I say asians?) and whites. There is no sense of cosmopolitianism. To the extent that one race will not venture into anothers. I really dont like the idea of 'no-go' areas (as would most people), but it does exist quite evidently.
Will someone from up north please expand on what Ive been told?
May Allah shine sweet faith upon you this day and times beyond. May your heart be enriched with peace, and may your home be blessed always. Ameen.
Salam
We should all love Britain.
Thats integration enough.
Omrow
We can love Britain but still commit crimes in it, does that make us very itnegrated?
Chin up, mate! Life's too short.
Well, after recent statistics, aslong as its knife crime then id say yes.
When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it is not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end.
Salam
I love Britain. I would not do anything that would harm her.
If you love Britain then you would not commit any crime against your beloved country.
If you loved a chick, would you do anything to hurt her?
No.
Omrow
In old-fashioned times (when Omrow grew up) countries were referred to as female.
'the Motherland' etc.
Don't just do something! Stand there.
No, but that means in some ways a bearded Sheikh who can't speak English, but doesn't commit a crime is more integrated that someone who drinks, takes drugs and commits crime but calls himslef British.
As for the "chick", I'd hope you wouldn't hurt her but some people (men and women) hurt their other halves all the time, physically, socially and mentally. I'm not saying it always happens but it DOES sometimes.
Chin up, mate! Life's too short.
I'm a firm believer in integration and assimilation, and the more Non-Muslims we manages to hook onto this idiology the better
Being a respectable citizen and integration are not one and the same thing, I can respect the society I live in, thats not to say I should or will adhere to everything expected of me within that society.
An interesting question would be why anyone would actually want to intergrate into this society, cosidering the current state of it.
Either way I don't see the logic in intergrating into a society thats foundation is based on Un Islamic ideologies, better for us to strengthen the one we belong to, before that to turns sour.
Organic
Integration doesn't mean blindly following everything a society says, mate.
Chin up, mate! Life's too short.
Though looking at some Muslims you might think so, Chum.
Organic
Yeah, but let's look at what is, rather than what it may seem to some.
“Before death takes away what you are given, give away whatever there is to give.”
Mawlana Jalal ud Din Rumi