The primary issue afflicting most of the Muslim world today is the poverty of knowledge among the general population. Sadly, both secular and religious leaders have proven to be weak in their Islamic knowledge and worldly understanding, respectively. This has given rise to the long intellectual stagnation and general backwardness visibly demonstrated by many Muslims worldwide.
The post-9/11 and 7/7 world has additionally laid bare these Muslim weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Various interest groups including Neo-Con and Ultra-Right advocates have taken advantage of the situation and compete to marginalise Muslim citizens in the public domain.
The rise of hard right politics across Europe and their recent election wins should be worrying to all. Sections of the media and political establishment portray the Muslim community as not only a burden but a security threat. Suspicion about Muslims and Islamophobia has become normalised.
With this perturbing reality, many Muslims genuinely feel that there is a huge leadership deficit within their community. While the situation may not be as dire for some in select areas, the overall picture should be a major cause for concern.
We should not forget the reality that most Muslims in the West originate from countries that have less economic opportunity and more political volatility or violence. Due to the absence of a level playing field, these people are hugely disadvantaged in most socio-economic indicators such as education, employment, housing, and health.
Having clearly defined rights and responsibilities are essential is maintaining the balance between individual freedoms and societal order and is the hallmark of a successful nation. Active participation in civic engagement can raise a community’s socio-political standing and its relationship with mainstream society. Despite starting from a relatively disadvantageous position, some Muslims are now doing well in certain sectors of British life including charity, healthcare and small and medium-sized enterprise. We should strive to achieve more.
However, Muslims must invest heavily in improving their civic participation – from local neighbourhoods to the national level – to confidently become an integral part of society. Universal rights, including education, security, privacy and the freedom of speech and religion are all clearly defined in the UN Charter.
The ‘inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family’ must be protected. Naturally, these rights must come with responsibilities such as respecting others, abiding by the law, voting in elections, paying taxes, and protecting the environment.
To achieve greater success and contribute to the well-being of society, Muslims should prioritise and develop their ‘big picture’ vision over their individual or institutional lens. It is vital they learn how to be proactive for justice and fairness for all.
Two key areas that Muslims should focus their attention on:
Building their knowledge bank with skills and character to strengthen their communities and work for the common good of all.
Developing intellectual leadership to improve their political and media education and play a catalytic role in bringing respect and ethics to our public life.
To support this, Muslims need to improve their internal capacity building through educational, cultural, and economic initiatives. This should be embedded in the running of Muslim organisations and institutions effectively and through the empowerment of parents with effective parenting skills to raise the future generation as better citizens with values and ethics.
Muslims of all backgrounds, especially those from educational and professional ones, should encourage deeper emotional belonging to their resident country and have a drive to serve their community and beyond. They should come forward and take the burden of leadership – be it institutional, civic, intellectual, or spiritual. For this, they need to improve their social skills and be more competent in their interaction and communication with others, both verbally and nonverbally and demonstrate their societal value through life skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving and decision making.
Whilst there are many routes to success, the list contains a few key areas where Muslim citizens can empower themselves and strengthen mainstream civil society:
Neighbourhood and civic works such as volunteering in food banks, community clean-ups, neighbourhood watch and organising and participating in community events.
Education and youth activities such as conducting educational workshops on civic obligations, establishing mentorship programs for young people, and providing guidance and support in their educational progress, developing programs to engage young people in positive activities such as sports, arts, and community service.
Participating in, and organising, health awareness campaigns and activities and providing and advocating for mental health support within the community and beyond.
Hosting open mosque events to invite people to know about Islam and foster mutual respect, engaging in interfaith dialogues and activities to build better understanding and cooperation among faith communities.
Economic entrepreneurship such as initiating businesses that contribute to the local economy and provide employment opportunities, ensuring business practices are ethical and beneficial to all.
Media and communications and using media platforms to highlight positive contributions of Muslims to British society or actively working to counteract negative stereotypes and misinformation about Islam and Muslims.
Providing environmental stewardship through promoting and adopting environmentally sustainable practices in daily life, participating in environmental projects such as tree planting, recycling programs, and conservation efforts.
Contributing towards ethical politics by exercising the right to vote and encouraging others to do the same, participating in local councils and civic organisations to represent community interests, and advocating for policies that promote social justice, equality, and the well-being of all citizens.
Book references from the author (available on Amazon): Meet the Challenge, Make the Change: A Call to Action for Muslim Civil Society in Britain. British, Muslims, Citizens: Introspection and Renewal
Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Educationalist and Author
Photo: Young Muslims provide meals to the homeless at weekly food banks in Birmingham City Centre.
(Credit: Kassim Mawji/WikiMedia)
