Checking extent of damage
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
HOW many Muslim communities in the world are consciously seeking to turn their masjids into the hearts of their lives? We do not know for sure, although anecdotally we can probably name this masjid or that Islamic centre in some countries as having great impact on their human resource development. However, we know for sure that at least here in Brunei Darussalam we are making efforts to ensure that masjids function the way they are meant to do.
One of those functions is to serve as a centre of knowledge and activities for disseminating knowledge, a revival of which has been called for by Deputy Minister of Education Pg Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Mohammad Pg Hj Abdul Rahman, who is also Unissa's rector. He pointed out that love for masjids is one of three factors that will protect humans in the world and the hereafter, the other two being love for Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and love for prayers.
Among the other functions of a masjid, he pointed out, was to serve as the central location for administration, military and education, as practised during the time of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). Hence, this newspaper's recent call that Brunei Darussalam also turn its masjids into community services and/or development centres of complexes equipped with libraries, clinics, kindergartens, lecture halls, multi-purpose rooms, guest-rooms, kitchens, mini-markets, gymnasiums, workshops and other facilities. In fact, while we are at it, why not even fit our masjids with the state-of-the-art communication technology equipment?
Some people would at this moment shudder with trepidation at efforts to turn masjids into a hub for all those activities, especially people who believe that masjids should serve as nothing but a place for Muslims to do their sujud before going about their merry ways without nary a care whether or not they are Muslim outside of the masjids. More especially those who think that masjids are usually the place where Muslims, whom they think to be nothing but violent people, plan their terror acts.
Several years ago, a so-called think-tank in the US launched a report and recommendation for the US Air Force on how the US should deal with the Muslim world. The core view of that think-tank is that Muslims are "cleaved" into several groups, with the "moderates" being the most effective weapons to be used against the "fundamentalists".
The core approach proposed is that the US and its friends and its allies divide the Muslims and conquer: the "liberal" and the "modernists" are to be supported financially and through other means in order to weaken the position of the "fundamentalists".
Among its recommendations is this: "Foster madrassa and mosque reform." It suggested that the US and its friends and its allies find ways to "support the efforts of governments and moderate Muslim organisations to ensure that mosques do not serve as platforms for radical ideologies." Certainly there was a disclaimer from that so-called think-tank that its view did not necessarily reflect those of its clients or patrons; certainly there was some uneasy half-hearted denial being voiced from some parties when the report made the news and created a stir among the Muslim world.
But those who would take the trouble to observe how the US and its allies "engage" with some Muslim communities in some countries would discern that campaigns to implement the recommendations are indeed being done. The so-called "modernist" and "secularist" networks being promoted in some neighbouring countries show that they are indeed developed from that blue-print. Secularism and liberalism are against Islam, and efforts to check the damage already caused by the divide-and-conquer approach are called for. Muslims everywhere can do their share in protecting their faith, including by returning the function of the masjids so they become what they are meant to be: the hearts of the Muslim ummah's life.
One of those functions is to serve as a centre of knowledge and activities for disseminating knowledge, a revival of which has been called for by Deputy Minister of Education Pg Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Mohammad Pg Hj Abdul Rahman, who is also Unissa's rector. He pointed out that love for masjids is one of three factors that will protect humans in the world and the hereafter, the other two being love for Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and love for prayers.
Among the other functions of a masjid, he pointed out, was to serve as the central location for administration, military and education, as practised during the time of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). Hence, this newspaper's recent call that Brunei Darussalam also turn its masjids into community services and/or development centres of complexes equipped with libraries, clinics, kindergartens, lecture halls, multi-purpose rooms, guest-rooms, kitchens, mini-markets, gymnasiums, workshops and other facilities. In fact, while we are at it, why not even fit our masjids with the state-of-the-art communication technology equipment?
Some people would at this moment shudder with trepidation at efforts to turn masjids into a hub for all those activities, especially people who believe that masjids should serve as nothing but a place for Muslims to do their sujud before going about their merry ways without nary a care whether or not they are Muslim outside of the masjids. More especially those who think that masjids are usually the place where Muslims, whom they think to be nothing but violent people, plan their terror acts.
Several years ago, a so-called think-tank in the US launched a report and recommendation for the US Air Force on how the US should deal with the Muslim world. The core view of that think-tank is that Muslims are "cleaved" into several groups, with the "moderates" being the most effective weapons to be used against the "fundamentalists".
The core approach proposed is that the US and its friends and its allies divide the Muslims and conquer: the "liberal" and the "modernists" are to be supported financially and through other means in order to weaken the position of the "fundamentalists".
Among its recommendations is this: "Foster madrassa and mosque reform." It suggested that the US and its friends and its allies find ways to "support the efforts of governments and moderate Muslim organisations to ensure that mosques do not serve as platforms for radical ideologies." Certainly there was a disclaimer from that so-called think-tank that its view did not necessarily reflect those of its clients or patrons; certainly there was some uneasy half-hearted denial being voiced from some parties when the report made the news and created a stir among the Muslim world.
But those who would take the trouble to observe how the US and its allies "engage" with some Muslim communities in some countries would discern that campaigns to implement the recommendations are indeed being done. The so-called "modernist" and "secularist" networks being promoted in some neighbouring countries show that they are indeed developed from that blue-print. Secularism and liberalism are against Islam, and efforts to check the damage already caused by the divide-and-conquer approach are called for. Muslims everywhere can do their share in protecting their faith, including by returning the function of the masjids so they become what they are meant to be: the hearts of the Muslim ummah's life.
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