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Faith in secular society

Time for action

The Hope of future generations

Rediscovering the Sacred

A period ical of the Spring I nsti tu te ­ London

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Contributors:

Batool Haydar

Chris Hewer

Dr James B Thring

Jul ia Khadija Lafene

Razi Chaudhry

Revd Frank Jul ian Gell i

Sameer Abbas Zaidi

Sheikh Mohammad Ali Shomali

Sheikh Usama Abdulghani

Tahereh Shafiee

Tiziana Ciavardini

Chief Editor Amir De Martino

Managing Editor Anousheh Mireskandari

Publisher:

Islamic Centre of England

1 40 Maida Vale

London, W9 1 QB ­ UK

SpringThe pe r i od i ca l o f t he Sp r ing In s t i t u t e - London

On the 21st of January 2015Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei

took to social media to address theyouth of Europe and North America.In his open letter he invited them toask questions about why there hasbeen such a fierce hostility towards theIslamic faith and to gain knowledge ofIslam, not from western media butfrom authentic sources. AyatollahKhamenei’s direct address is significantas it underscores the importance andhope that Muslims have in today’syouth as possible agents of positivechange. The letter also represents aninvitation for direct dialogue with theyounger generation.In this Spring issue we haverepublished the letter along with anumber of views and opinions relatingto its subject matter in the hope that itwill provoke further reflection.

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TToo tthheeYYoouutthhiinn EEuurrooppeeaannddNNoorrtthhAAmmeerriiccaa......

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6

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10... Islamic Faith through Quranic verses

14... Rediscovering the Sacred

18... The Hope of future generations

20... Changing perceptions

28... Dear You & Me

32... Time for change

36... Comments

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In the name of God, the

Beneficent the Merciful

The recent events in France

and similar ones in some

other Western countries have

convinced me to directly talk

to you about them. I am addressing you,

[the youth], not because I overlook your

parents, rather it is because the future of

your nations and countries will be in your

hands; and also I find that the sense of

quest for truth is more vigorous and

attentive in your hearts.

I don’t address your politicians and

statesmen either in this writing because I

believe that they have consciously

separated the route of politics from the

path of righteousness and truth.

I would like to talk to you about Islam,

particularly the image that is presented to

you as Islam. Many attempts have been

made over the past two decades, almost

since the disintegration of the Soviet

Union, to place this great religion in the

seat of a horrifying enemy. The

provocation of a feeling of horror and

hatred and its utilisation has

unfortunately a long record in the political

history of the West.

Here, I don’t want to deal with the

different phobias with which the Western

nations have thus far been indoctrinated.

A cursory review of recent critical studies

of history would bring home to you the

fact that the Western governments’

insincere and hypocritical treatment of

other nations and cultures has been

censured in new historiographies.

The histories of the United States and

Europe are ashamed of slavery,

embarrassed by the colonial period and

chagrined at the oppression of people of

colour and non-Christians. Your

researchers and historians are deeply

ashamed of the bloodshed wrought in the

name of religion between the Catholics

and Protestants or in the name of

nationality and ethnicity during the First

and Second World Wars. This approach

is admirable.

By mentioning a fraction of this long list, I

don’t want to reproach history; rather I

would like you to ask your intellectuals as

to why the public conscience in the West

awakens and comes to its senses after a

delay of several decades or centuries. Why

should the revision of collective

conscience apply to the distant past and

not to the current problems? Why is it

that attempts are made to prevent public

Message of AyatollahSeyyed Ali Khamenei

To the Youthin Europe and

North America...

5Spring

awareness regarding an important issue

such as the treatment of Islamic culture

and thought?

You know well that humiliation and

spreading hatred and illusionary fear of

the ‘other’ have been the common base of

all those oppressive profiteers. Now, I

would like you to ask yourself why the old

policy of spreading “phobia” and hatred

has targeted Islam and Muslims with an

unprecedented intensity. Why does the

power structure in the world want Islamic

thought to be marginalised and remain

latent? What concepts and values in Islam

disturb the programmes of the super

powers and what interests are

safeguarded in the shadow of distorting

the image of Islam? Hence, my first

request is: Study and research the

incentives behind this widespread

tarnishing of the image of Islam.

My second request is that in reaction to

the flood of prejudgments and

disinformation campaigns, try to gain

direct and first hand knowledge of this

religion. The right logic requires that you

understand the nature and essence of

what they are frightening you about and

want you to keep away from.

I don’t insist that you accept my reading or

any other reading of Islam. What I want to

say is: Don’t allow this dynamic and

effective reality in today’s world to be

introduced to you through resentments

and prejudices. Don’t allow them to

hypocritically introduce their own

recruited terrorists as representatives of

Islam.

Receive knowledge of Islam from its

primary and original sources. Gain

information about Islam through the

Qur’an and the life of its great Prophet. I

would like to ask you whether you have

directly read the Qur’an of the Muslims.

Have you studied the teachings of the

Prophet of Islam and his humane, ethical

doctrines? Have you ever received the

message of Islam from any sources other

than the media?

Have you ever asked yourself how

and on the basis of which values has

Islam established the greatest

scientific and intellectual civilisation of the

world and raised the most distinguished

scientists and intellectuals throughout

several centuries?

I would like you not to allow the

derogatory and offensive image-buildings

to create an emotional gulf between you

and the reality, taking away the possibility

of an impartial judgment from you. Today,

the communication media have removed

the geographical borders. Hence, don’t

allow them to besiege you within

fabricated and mental borders. Although

no one can individually fill the created

gaps, each one of you can construct a

bridge of thought and fairness over the

gaps to illuminate yourself and your

surrounding environment. While this

preplanned challenge between Islam and

you, the youth, is undesirable, it can raise

new questions in your curious and

inquiring minds. Attempts to find answers

to these questions will provide you with

an appropriate opportunity to discover

new truths.

Therefore, don’t miss the opportunity to

gain proper, correct and unbiased

understanding of Islam so that hopefully,

due to your sense of responsibility toward

the truth, future generations will write the

history of this current interaction between

Islam and the West with a clearer

conscience and lesser resentment.

Seyyed Ali Khamenei

21st Jan. 2015

“I don’t address your politicians and statesmeneither in this writing because I believe that theyhave consciously separated the route of politicsfrom the path of righteousness and truth.I would like to talk to you about Islam, particularlythe image that is presented to you as Islam."

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There is a valid point in theconcern shown by thosewho advocate secularism insociety. This is the fear of

religion being imposed on society orreligion being controlled by those inpower to produce discriminatory policies.However only a few would argueagainst the benefit of religion at theindividual level and all - except themost secular - would agree aboutreligion's benefit in private life,considering it an individual right. Yetsome are unwilling to admit thatreligion also contributes positively topublic life and it is my opinion that itcan do much more.There is a common understandingtoday among religious and non-

religious people that religion andreligious practices should not beimposed on others.As far as Islam is concerned there is aclear Quranic injunction expressed inverse 256 of the second chapter whichreads: ‘There is no compulsion in

religion’. Unlike the commonunderstanding, this verse was notrevealed in Makkah but in Medinawhen Islam was in a position ofstrength. Although Islam was in apreeminent position with many peopleturning to the faith, God Almighty stillrevealed the above verse. Therevelation of the verse is associatedwith the story of the children of aMuslim man who converted toChristianity. With this verse God

proclaimed that there is no compulsionin religion and as a result the verseimplies that they should not be forcedto change again.While we accept the concept that thereshould be no compulsion in religion, wemust consider that sometimesfaithlessness and disdain towardsreligion have equally been imposed onpeople - consciously or unconsciously -by the secular establishment.I believe that in today’s secular society,somen government institutions whichuse public funds are not neutraltowards religion and some policies areactually formulated to underminereligious beliefs.They are very much against certainvalues and norms to which religious

Sheikh Mohammad Ali Shomali spells out the necessity ofunity among people of faith to counter the forces ofsecularism

FFaaiitthh in secular society

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people adhere and which they considervery important for the prosperity ofhumanity.What is evident is that in the name offreedom of thought and expression,religious people are pressurised intoaccepting all sorts of impositions thatcontravene their beliefs.Those opposed to religion use politicalpower, public funds and resources topromote their ideas to the extent thatthey expect the religious communitiesto go along with them and endorsewhat they say.The Qur’an tells us about a great trustwhich was offered to the mountains,the sky and other creations and of theirrefusal to undertake it as they felt itwould be too much of a burden.

However human beings accepted thechallenge. Man was willing toundertake this trust and be thevicegerent of God on Earth. But twoproblems soon appeared: mankindbegan to exhibit signs of ignorance andinjustice.

Humanity, to be able to function at itsbest and become a true vicegerent ofGod, has to remove the aboveobstacles. The question now is howcan we, without some kind of guidance,confront these problems and get rid ofthem? If we divest ourselves of religiousguidance, received through divinerevelations how can we face thechallenge of ignorance?Ignorance is not only about the

absence of scientific knowledge. Whenit comes to socio-political life a greatpart of ignorance can only beovercome when we refer to revelationand guidance received from God. So ifwe deprive ourselves of these, it meanswe have decided to remain ignorantand this is to no one’s benefit.Another issue is the presence ofinjustice in society. If we disconnect oursocio-political life from our responsibilityand accountability to God and weencourage people to just do what theylike, and enjoy life selfishly, even withinthe limits of the law and withoutharming anyone, this would not resultin the removal of injustice.

Injustice is caused by people’s greed, by

FFaaiitthh in secular society

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those who are not happyand content with owning acountry, continent or even aplanet. Their satisfaction hasno limits.Only when we believe thatwe are servants of God andact in a godly way will we beable to humble ourselvesand find prosperity andhappiness by serving others.So if we deprive our socio-political lifeof commitment towards God and thedeep desire to serve the children ofGod, we will not be able to challengeand remove injustice.There is however another problem andthat is the misuse of religion. Religionhas at many times been misused. Iaccept that some terrible events haveand may still happen in the name ofreligion, but some people are trying topresent the idea that religion is the rootcause of most injustices and atrocities.This is simply not the case.The reality is that any powerfulinstrument that has the chance andability to unite people can also bemisused by people affected byignorance and lack of justice. Manythings can be potentially misused; thisis not a sufficient reason to keepreligion out of socio-political life.So misuse of religion should not meanthat we do not need religion at all. Thatwould be akin to arguing that weshould dispense with the judicialsystem because of the incidence ofmiscarriages of justice. No one canclaim anywhere in the world that in allcourts justice is served. However,despite the occurrence of injustices,nobody in their right mind willadvocate the abolition of courts. Sowhy when it comes to religion areabuses rolled out to argue for theelimination of religious influence fromsocial and political life?I believe that despite all the difficultiesreligious people can do a lot of good.Not to serve ourselves, not even toserve our religious ideas, but to serve

humanity. Religion is not to be served.Rather it has come to serve us. That iswhy we want to offer it to anyone whois interested. We feel that it is the rightof every human being to be given atleast fair access to what religiouspeople have found useful and uplifting.I don’t want to prophesy, but myunderstanding is that we have entereda new era. If so far, world religions havedone well by themselves, we have nowreached a point in history in which ourfuture can only be guaranteed if wework together. There won’t be anyother way for religions to progress inthe face of the pressures coming fromsecularism, liberalism or materialism,unless we work together. We are all inthe same situation.Unfortunately in the past, not only didwe not see that much the value ofworking together, we saw each other asmajor enemies. Even today, in someparts of the world the greatest enemiesof Muslims are Christians or vice versa.This thinking belongs to the past.

Today’s paradigm hascompletely changed and wehave to understand thatfrom now on our successlies in working together.

We need associations andpartnerships of people fromdifferent religions that canwork for the unity andhappiness of mankind in

the face of two major challenges. Thefirst comes from secular andmaterialistic life and the forcespromoting it, and the second fromfellow believers who do not want us towork together towards unity. Thisnecessitates partnerships of Muslims,Christians, Jews, Hindus and people ofother faiths, all working towards thesame goals.

If we deprive our socio-

political life of

commitment towards

God and the deep desire

to serve the children of

God, we will not be able

to challenge and remove

injustice.

While we accept the concept that thereshould be no compulsion in religion, wemust consider that sometimesfaithlessness and disdain towards religionhave equally been imposed on people.

Dr. Mohammad Ali Shomali isImam and Director of theIslamic Centre ofEngland.

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Islamic Faith through

Quranic verses

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Islamic Faith through

Quranic versesMuslims believe that God has

communicated with humanitythrough revelations, the last of which isthe Qur’an, transmitted in verses intothe heart and mind of the ProphetMuhammad(s), in the same way that Hedid with preceding prophets such asMoses(a) and Jesus(a). The Qur’an isconsidered a complete book ofguidance. One only needs to read itonce to appreciate its beauty andmeticulousness (even if only intranslation). God has left no stoneunturned in giving us step by stepdirections as to how better ourselves,how to understand our existence andhow to find our way back to Him.

Each prophet was chosen due tohis personal merits, and each was

given miracles to perform by which hewould be recognised by his people. Thetype of such miracles depended on thelevel of ignorance or intellect of thepeople at the time.

Muslims believe that the miracle ofProphet Muhammad(s) is in the

presentation of the Qur’an especially in

view of the fact that he was known tohave had no prior knowledge of readingor writing. Just as the extraordinaryJesus(a) was able to speak when still inthe cradle, Muhammad(s) would berecognised by the presentation of wordsand verses whose beauty and wisdomwere beyond the ability of any humanagent, gathered in the last divine bookknown as the Qur’an.

The Qur’an in fact represents oneof the primary sources of Islamic

knowledge and it is for this reason thatin a recent open letter to the youth ofEurope and America, Ayatollah AliKhamenei asked them to refer to it foran understanding of Islam.

In the following paragraphs we presentchapter Hujurat (the Chambers) - the49th chapter of the Holy Qur’an, as asample of the educational instructionsgiven to us via divine revelation.

On the issue social interaction verse6 says: “O you who believe! If an

evil-doer comes to you with importantnews, verify it, lest you should harm

people in ignorance [out of haste inbelief and making decision], andafterwards you become regretful forwhat you have done.”This verse is addressed to the believers;if an evil-doer comes to you with somenews, do not acknowledge it unless youinvestigate its veracity, or you may endup doing something out of ignorancewhich you may later regret. This is whatAyatollah Khamenei is exhorting theyouth to do - not to be brainwashed bypropaganda against Islam and insteadlearn it from its true sources. Here themeaning of ‘wrongdoing’ and‘wrongdoer’ connotes deviation fromthe straight path. This example hasbeen employed in different contexts inthe Holy Qur’an, including disobedienceof the Pharaoh and his people to God.The wrongdoers are the deceitful andthose who sow discord in societythrough spreading false news [andcreating hatred] among people.Fortunately for the human being, ourCreator has embedded faith in ourhearts, and has made disbelief,disobedience to Him hateful to us.Muslims believe that if one comes to

Considered as a primary source of Islamic teaching the Holy Qur’an contains an abundance ofunequivocal instructions accessible to everyone. Tahereh Shafiee presents some verses fromchapter 49 (The Chambers) as an example of such direct language used by the Qur’an

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obey God, faith shall be deeply rootedin ones’ heart and one shall clearlyperceive the truth of His message,whether it is through the ProphetMuhammad(s), Jesus(s) or Moses(s); thusour hearts shall be illumined by thelight of His blessings allowing us to findguidance through our belief.

The Qur’an also gives some explicitinstructions in conflict resolution

particularly pertinent to today. “And if twoparties or groups among the believersengage in fighting, then make peacebetween them both. But if one of themoutrages against the other, then fight youagainst the one that outrages till itcomplies with the Command of God.Then if it complies [and ceases outrage],then make reconciliation between themjustly, and be impartial. Indeed! God lovesthose who are impartial.”

A lthough faith requires abstentionfrom fighting and confrontation

amongst people it is a part of thehuman condition to fall intoconfrontation. In such an eventualitybelievers are told to assist theirbrothers, both wrongdoer and wronged.If one is wronged, help him to reclaimwhat is due to him and if he is awrongdoer, prevent him from wrong-doing. To reconcile Muslims [orbelievers] one is supposed to actimmediately. In fact this is a general ruleapplicable anywhere and anytime. Atany rate, it is incumbent upon allMuslims to prevent occurrences ofcontention, conflict and bloodshed andassume responsibility rather than stand

aside like indifferent and ignorantonlookers.

The second obligation that shouldbe taken for granted is that if the

wrongdoing cannot be stopped andjustice administered throughreconciliation, it should be administeredeven if Muslims’ blood be shed. That is,the blood of the disobedient andwrongdoing side is to be shed if theyare to blame for the confrontation.

In other words, Muslims are notsupposed to be content with

incapacitating the wrongdoing group, buttheir fight should serve as a prelude topeace and eradication of the causes ofcontention and conflict; otherwise, thewrongdoing side will almost certainlyresume the conflict as soon as it feelscompetent enough to start fighting.

God’s creation is based on justice,and the Prophets’ missions aimed

at the establishment of justice amongpeople: “Indeed We sent OurMessengers with clear proofs andrevealed with them the Scripture andthe Balance [justice] that people maymaintain justice”.In modern societies, realisation ofjustice requires abiding by laws andinjustice is sometimes synonymous withevading or delaying the law. Now thequestion arises as to which law? Thelaw legislated by people like us? Thelaw which is subject to alteration eachand every day? The law in which somepeople’s interests lie?

What arises from unmeasured thought,limited knowledge, and alteration?What is legislated by those who delay

Muslims believe that the miracle of Prophet Muhammad(s) is

in the presentation of the Qur’an especially in view of the

fact that he was known to have had no prior knowledge of

reading or writing.

13Spring

laws and fail to act upon the same?Could such laws enjoy sanctity andcredibility and provide society with

justice and security?The point is that Divine Laws aloneestablish peace and justice in societyand prevent defects and flaws. This isbecause such laws are legislated by theCreator based upon His infinite graceand omniscience and the Legislator isthe first one Who has acted upon thesame.

V erse 10 says: “The believers arenothing else than brethren. So

make reconciliation amongst yourbrethren and fear God that you mayreceive Mercy.”The relationship amongst believers isdescribed in the Qur’an as deeplyrooted and firm, bilateral, based ontheir innate nature and dispositionrather than on worldly needs or desires.It is said that two brethren are like twohands washing each other. And this is a

clear proof that the Islamic faith attendsto the establishment of peace andreconciliation amongst individuals insociety. Thus, one of the mostsignificant social responsibilities ofMuslims, the administration of justice, isaddressed. It is also worthy of note thatthe clause: “The believers are nothingelse than brethren” is one of thefundamental and deeply rooted Islamicprinciples, a very remarkable, profound,effective, and meaningful one.Based upon this significant Islamicprinciple, Muslims from any ethnicity orcultural background should feelprofound brotherly love towards oneanother, even if they live in differentparts of the world. Such love and

solidarity is plainly visible in thepilgrimage to Makka in which Muslimsfrom all parts of the world congregateas a single community.

To conclude let us look at verse 13.“O people! We have created you

from a male and a female and made

you into nations and tribes that you

may know one another. Indeed, the

most honourable of you with Allah is

that [one] who fears Allah. Indeed,

Allah is Omniscient, All-Aware.”

The Islamic faith rejects all racial,

political, ethnological, tribal,

geographical, economic, intellectual,

cultural, social, and military segregation

and places fear of God as the standard

for distinction between virtue and vice.

This verse explicitly traces the

genealogy of mankind to a single

source; Adam and Eve. All mankind

springs from the same root so taking

pride or creating social distinctions in

terms of genealogy and ethnicity are

pointless.

The commentary has been adopted from ‘An

Enlightening Commentary into The Light of The

Holy Qur’an’ – Vol 17 published by IMAM ALI

Islamic Research Centre - Isfahan

Tahereh Shafiee is a freelance writer with

interest on social and religious matters

It is said that two brethren are like two hands washing each

other. And this is a clear proof that the Islamic faith attends

to the establishment of peace and reconciliation amongst

individuals in society.

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A s I write this article the

news has been

announced that the pop

boy band One Direction are

about to go their separate ways. Shock

and horror! Millions of young fans are said

to be in mourning. Verily, a sign of the

times. These are the ‘celebrities’, the role

models the young people of our culture

are induced to follow, admire and idolise.

There is a tremendous need for many

Western young people to recover the idea

- I should say the reality - of the sacred. To

get back to the paradigm of the holy. The

fundamental model which for nearly two

millennia has shaped and determined the

nature of European civilisation. That

paradigm has been gravely weakened,

distorted and marred by subversive and

retrogressive phenomena, the roots of

which date back at least to the 18th

century – the so-called Enlightenment. The

eclipse of the sacred has rapidly and

catastrophically accelerated during the last

century, leaving genuine culture and

institutions virtually in ruins. All the more

important therefore for men and women

of faith to hold on to a clear spiritual

compass. To firm, fixed points of reference

anchored in transcendence. In a drifting,

heedless and solipsistic culture such as

ours, this is an essential task. The

promotion of the sacred, in all its aspects,

educational, ethical, cultural, artistic, social

and political is a duty, a holy goal.

What is to be done? Earlier this year

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei addressed

an open letter to the youth of the West. At

a time when the news was filled with

negative reports about ugly misdeeds

perpetrated in the name of religion, the

Ayatollah invited young people to learn

about Islam not from biased and one-

sided commentators but from authentic

sources. His remarks impart a valuable

Rediscoveringthe Sacred. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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lesson. Spiritual, religious values are not

promoted but besmirched and defamed

when they are connected with acts of

violence and inhuman atrocities. For

example, the notorious actions of ISIS, the

so called ‘Islamic State’ in the Levant,

may excite and draw a limited number

of misguided and fanatical European

youths. In actual fact, they disgust and

revolt the overwhelming majority of

normal, decent young people. Violence

can never be a good advertisement for

those who hanker after a sacred

dimension of life.

Rather, it results in the opposite -

alienation, prejudice and hostility towards

all faiths. When I was a parish priest it

was part of my ministry to run youth

groups and activities. I was struck by the

idealism, the search for meaning, the

willingness to help others which I saw

shining on those bright young faces.

Sometimes they desired guidance. Often

they confronted me with challenging

questions like: ‘‘Father Frank, why has

God caused me to be born? Can I really

hope for a life beyond this one? Why is

there so much suffering and evil in the

world?’ Of course, they would not always

formulate those inquiries in words but I

saw them expressed in their behaviour.

They were eager to volunteer for visiting

Rediscoveringthe Sacred. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

There is a tremendousneed for many Westernyoung people to recover

the idea … of the sacred. Toget back to the paradigm ofthe holy.The fundamental model whichfor nearly two millennia hasshaped and determined thenature of European civilisation.

Abrahamic faiths abound in role models representing their rich ethical and spiritual

values. Revd Frank Julian Gelli underlines the importance of promoting such models in

encouraging Western youth towards the sacred

15Spring

and shopping for the old, the infirm and

the disabled, collect money for charities,

dialogue with other faiths and even to go

on demonstrations against abortion and

the war on Iraq. It was, I daresay,

goodness in action Yet the dangers

should not be underrated. In his book,

Jihad vs. McWorld, political scientist

Benjamin R. Barber offers a sharp

analysis of a key conflict of our time.

Consumerist capitalism versus many

forms of extreme religious

fundamentalism. We see how

capitalism is rapidly melting the

traditional forms of political

organisations and national life. For

instance, the EU is dissolving the old

nation states and cultural entities of

historical Europe into a single,

amorphous, global transnational market.

Historical, genuine identities and values

are replaced by a ruthless

‘fundamentalism of finance’ and of the

market. In this regard, even a perverse

document like Marx and Engels’

Communist Manifesto of 1848 seems to

have been oddly prophetic. Bourgeois

capitalism verily ‘has left no remaining

other nexus between men than naked

self-interest…callous cash payment.’

(Though I guess today he would write of

‘credit card payment’.) The resulting

estrangements, the tragic ravages inflicted

on our society by this anti-human money

cult, are there for all of us to behold.

Education provides another dismal

example. Although the English school

…the Ayatollah [Khamenei]invited young people tolearn about Islam … fromauthentic sources. Hisremarks import a valuablelesson. Spiritual, religiousvalues are not promoted butbesmirched and defamedwhen they are connectedwith acts of violence andinhuman atrocities.

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system is rooted in a questionable division

between state schools and private, fee-

paying ones (NB only about 7 per cent of

English pupils go to private schools but

they are disproportionately represented

later in life in positions of power, privilege

and in the professions), one of its

redeeming features in the past was that

after college many privately-educated

young men would choose to work in

places of social deprivation, like London’s

East End. Some of them would indeed

become ordained as Anglican priests.

They shunned a comfortable life in

middle class parishes but served instead

selflessly as clergy among working-class

people and industrial or slum areas. The

church of St Barnabas, Jericho, in then

poor East Oxford, is one

witness amongst many of

how the spiritual ideals

of Anglo-Catholicism

inspired wealthy young

people to dedicate their

lives to the marginalised,

the humble and the

downtrodden.

Alas, all that is in stark

contrast with the

aspirations of too many

up-and-coming

secularised young people

today, regardless of

schooling. The pursuit of

the holy, along with the

commitment to serve,

seems to have receded.

Instead a clever young

person may look forward

to getting into the City,

making millions on the

stock market and retiring

as soon as possible to a

life of leisure and selfish

pleasures.

Given these

considerations, it is

tempting to be lazily cynical about the

young. Yet in April 2005 I happened to be

in Rome. Pope John Paul II had just died

after a long, debilitating illness. Suddenly,

Rome appeared to me with devotional

scenes like Mecca. Millions of people

descended on the holy city of Western

Christendom to mourn the Pope’s death.

The roads were chock-a-block with

pilgrims from all over Europe. Many of

them were young, bright-eyed and bushy

tailed. Stirred by the example, the

teachings of a man of God like John Paul,

they had come to pay their respects, to

pray, to praise God for the good man who,

in his infinite wisdom, he had sent to lead

his flock. It was a spectacle I shall never

forget. It gave the lie, in my opinion, to the

notion that all the young have sold out to

the consumer society, to unbridled

hedonism, promiscuity and atheism.

There is no magic wand to wave in order

to conjure away the false lures of an

ungodly system. But, if I had to hit on a

particular remedy, I would cite the vital

importance of role models. Dynamic

sacred models, real alternatives to the

bland, banal and shallow pabulum of

phenomena like One Direction. ‘I don’t

care about the Beatles. I want my children

to learn about and look up to the

examples of the heroes, the champions of

my religion’, a Lebanese friend told me

once. He mentioned names like Ali, Imam

Hussein, Fatima, Ayatollah Khomeini and

Hasan Nasrallah. My heart went out to

him. Because I too do not want my

grandchildren and nephews to be

infatuated followers of pop bands like

One Direction or, for that matter, any

other band. I want them to read about

and become enthused by the lives of the

Saints. The wonderful men and women in

history who dedicated their lives to service

of God in Christ. The Saints are not dead

– they are alive, in Heaven. From where

they are they point all believers to the

glories accruing to being servants of

God – a selfless task to which they

dedicated their lives while still here on

earth.

Whenever I feel a bit despondent about the

rising tide of atheism and faithlessness in

this society, I always draw encouragement

from meditating on the life of my own

patron saint and hero, St Francis of Assisi.

A stupendous example of ‘Christian

dervish’. A better role model no believer,

young or old, could possibly desire.

Revd Frank Julian Gelli isan Anglican priest, culturalcritic and a religiouscontroversialist, working onreligious dialogue. His lastbook ‘The Dark Side ofEngland’. An exposé, isavailable on Amazon Kindle.

17Spring

"It is simply not true that new generations are lessinterested in religion and matters of faith; the reality is thatthey have been kept deliberately ignorant. This attitude hasproduced culturally handicapped young people devoid ofany spiritual training or religious culture."

Humanity is in urgent need of

the witness of free and

courageous young people

who dare to go against the

tide and proclaim with vigour and

enthusiasm their personal faith in

God, Lord and Saviour ".

So wrote Pope John Paul II in his

message to Christian youths on

World Youth day in April 2003.

In January of this year Ayatollah

Seyyed Ali Khamenei also

exhorted western youths to be

impartial investigators in order to

remove negative preconceptions

and discover the real face of Islam,

the last of the Abrahamic faiths.

The young people of today are not

substantially different from those of

previous generations. They are just as

capable of generosity, solidarity and

dedication if they are motivated by a

cause. Compared to the past today’s

youth live in a desert of social

references and lack a sense of

belonging. They are individualists; they

want to make their own choices

without taking into account social

values, ideas or common laws.

They take their reference points from

everywhere and are not afraid to

experiment with them.

Most young people are heavily

conditioned by market forces

dominating our society. The political

organisation of society is based on a

mercantilist mentality which turns

citizens into consumers. Economic

rules replace moral ones.

Governments lay down the law and

impose their systems of reference and

evaluation in all aspects of life.

Regrettably in today’s secularised

societies the youth are experiencing a

loss of spiritual identity.

The refusal to recognise the value of a

religion-based life has a detrimental

effect on the human being. The youth

of this generation are particularly

affected; they have lost that connection

to the spiritual and religious

dimension previously provided via the

teachings of the Divine faiths. In many

cases they have been left devoid of

spiritual references, left to fend for

themselves. In part the fault lies with

TThhee hhooppee ooff ffuuttuurree ggeenneerraattiioonnssThroughout history societies have nurtured and prepared their youth to continue their

legacies. However recent generations are increasingly questioning their forefathers.

Razi Chaudhry offers some reasons for the apparent loss of interest in religious faith

and spirituality

“

Spring18

19Spring

their parents. They want to see them

happy, but have failed to teach them the

rules of social life, the faith of previous

generations based on universal

values, the meaning of his/her

conscience, the value of freedom, and a

sense of brotherhood and equality.

It is simply not true that new generations

are less interested in religion and matters

of faith; the reality is that they have been

kept deliberately ignorant. This attitude

has produced culturally handicapped

young people devoid of any spiritual

training or religious culture.

Nonetheless, these young people are

affected by the phenomenon of sects,

terrorism and war, portrayed via

tendentious mass media which gives them

conflicting and disturbing images of

religion, Islam in particular.

Religion draws them but at the same time

they are worried when it is presented as a

source of conflict in the world, which is a

misconception because the conflicts in

question are of political and economic

origin. Their knowledge of Islam is tied to

clichés and the intellectual

reconstructions that circulate in social

representations, news media, television

dramas and films.

There is the risk that if the religious

impulse, which is inherent in all humans,

is not educated and enriched by an

authentic message, it will remain stunted

and incapable of developing.

Despite all the difficulties and obstacles

and cultural, religious and moral

uprooting, the youths of all nations are

trying to find ways out of this quagmire.

Spiritual life is a human need that people

in charge must recognise, respect and

honour because it belongs to everyone

and is one of the essential components of

life. In this context dialogue among faiths

can add further support to the rediscovery

of a faith-based existence with common

values and denominators.

Ayatollah Khamenei’s invitation to western

youth to obtain knowledge of Islam from

its original sources represents a fatherly

advice for them to draw wisdom from the

last of the divine religions in recognition

of the fact that Islam does not belong only

to Muslims but to humanity as a whole

and that its primary consideration is to

elevate individuals to a higher level.

Razi Chaudhry is a youth

psychologist and an active islamic

educator.

TThhee hhooppee ooff ffuuttuurree ggeenneerraattiioonnss

Spring19

Spring20

Islamophobia has increased in

recent years. In many parts of the

world, an unfounded correlation has

been made between militant

networks, human rights abuses and

Muslims. This scenario has contributed to

the resurgence of extreme far-right

political parties.

I firmly believe that there is no smoke

without fire. The story started with the

9/11 attacks, which was followed by a

series of blasts, shootings and other

incidents across the globe. Since every

action has an equal and opposite

reaction, these incidents involving

mindless violence in the name of religion

gave rise to the current wave of

Islamophobia.

What is Islamophobia?

Countless anti-Islam events are taking

place across the world. In recent

months thousands of people have held

an anti-Islamic rally in the eastern

German city of Dresden; About 250

people toting pistols, American flags and

obscene cartoon drawings of the Prophet

Muhammad, surrounded a mosque in

the US city of Phoenix; Dutch politician

Geert Wilders aired offensive cartoons of

the Prophet Muhammad on Dutch

national television. Violent crimes against

Muslims have exploded, especially in the

west. What is common between these

events is extreme hate towards Islam and

its followers. This hate is termed

Islamophobia.

The NASUWT, a union that represents

the interests of teachers in England,

defines ‘Islamophobia’ as an unfounded

hatred of and hostility towards Islam

which may be directed against individuals

or groups because of their perceived or

actual religious background or

identification. This definition is

interpreted broadly to cover intolerance

and discrimination against Muslims. The

organisation further explains that it may

include a range of behaviours and

practices such as:

•Direct verbal or physical attacks against

individuals and groups;

•Discrimination in relation to access to

jobs, goods and services and other civic

rights and entitlements; and

•Cultural or religious insensitivity, which

may create barriers to Muslim people

becoming involved and result in them

feeling marginalised or excluded from

society.

Amongst students in schools and

colleges, such prejudice and racism may

take the form of name-calling, offensive

‘jokes’, verbal assault, graffiti, intimidation,

exclusion from friendship groups and

physical attack.

Understanding the CurrentScenario

In today’s fast-paced, technologically-

driven world, people hardly have any

time for researching. In this scenario, the

canon of ‘seeing-is-believing’ rules. People

rely more on ‘what-they-see’ rather than

‘what has been prescribed’ or ‘what

actually is’. Incidents like the burning to

To combat the growing trend of Islamophobia the world Muslims will require a

concerted effort as well as a degree of soul searching. Sameer Abbas Zaidiproposes some lines of action

ChangingPerceptions

21Spring

death of a Jordanian pilot in a cage or

beheading of hostages by Daesh in Iraq,

the blasts conducted by Boko Haram or

Taliban in Somalia, Nigeria and

Afghanistan, have added some more fuel

to the fire of Islamophobia.

Interestingly, opinion in the Muslim world

is still divided. While some people openly

condemned these violent acts, some

people support them by considering such

incidents as revenge attacks. But this

divided opinion sends a wrong message

to non-Muslims. It is the time to do away

with such ambivalence and formulate a

concrete strategy to tackle this menace.

The situation is very alarming and

tackling Islamophobia is largely a

psychological war that involves changing

the mindset of a larger audience. We, the

Muslims of the entire world, need to take

up this challenge as this issue is directly

related to our future generation. If we

delay our strategy, then it will prove to be

a disaster for our children.

Islamophobia leads to discrimination and

alienates individuals/groups from areas of

social, economic and political life. Since

tackling this issue is not easy, we need to

develop a result-oriented strategy. Only

good can outsmart bad. We need to

display the true character of Islam. Our

focus is to impress people of other faiths

with our character, a character that is

prescribed by the Prophet Muhammad(s),

a character that narrates the true spirit of

Islam, a character that promotes peace,

tolerance and respect for everyone.

That is why Ayatollah Seyyed Ali

Khamenei recently wrote a letter to the

youths of Europe and North America. In

his letter, the leader urged youths to study

and research the motivations behind this

widespread tarnishing of the image of

Islam. He encourages them to read the

Qur’an for themselves and appeals for

‘impartial judgment’.

WhatWe Can Do

As discussed earlier, challenging

Islamophobia is just like winning a

very tough psychological war, where we

need to change the mindset of a large

geographically - scattered audience

through our character. We can’t win this

war without the support of the masses. I

personally discussed this issue with some

of my friends and we together zeroed in

on the following points:

"... majority ofMuslims are not awareof their religion. So, itis necessary to learnIslam through theQur’an, the life of itsgreat Prophet andstudy the teachings ofthe Prophet of Islamand his humane andethical doctrines.

Spring22

- Learn your religion, do not

inherit it

I want to start with this famous quote of

Imam Ali(a). Learning and understanding

the true spirit of Islam is the need of the

hour. It has been observed that majority

of Muslims are not aware of their religion.

So, it is necessary to learn Islam through

the Qur’an, the life of its great Prophet

and study the teachings of the Prophet of

Islam and his humane and ethical

doctrines.

- Disowning radicalisation

It’s high time for the entire Muslim world

as well as wider society to disown the

radical and extremist groups. Our

reaction towards the atrocities committed

by such groups needs to be as vocal as

the one against Israel's state terror.

- Reboot the religious learning

process

There are some flaws in the current

religious-learning system. There is a huge

gap between the people who are

imparting religious education and people

who are receiving it. We have to do some

research to make this process smarter

and interesting. I think training colleges

for religious teachers must be established

to raise the bar of imparting Islamic

teachings. We have to launch campaigns

to spread the message of Islam to others.

- Master the art of mingling with

people of other communities

When we meet people of other faiths at

colleges, workplaces or other public

places, we rarely discuss religion. We

need to change this habit. If we start

discussing religion, things will change.

- Criticise the bad, praise the good

Whatever is bad is bad. It has been

observed that some irreligious people

arouse religious sentiments, polarise

masses and use religion as a tool to fulfil

their personal objectives. For them, their

While some peopleopenly condemned theseviolent acts, some

people support theseacts by considering suchincidents as revengeattacks. But this dividedopinion sends a wrongmessage to non-Muslims.It is the time to do awaywith such ambivalenceand formulate a concretestrategy to tackle thismenace.

vested interests are more important than

the values of Islam. So, we must blacklist

such people and inform others about

them. Similarly, we must appreciate the

good work done by other communities as

well.

-Become the brand ambassadors

of religion

There is no denying of the fact that we

can only outsmart Islamophobia with

collective efforts. So, every Muslim must

consider him/herself as the brand

ambassador of Islam, and act strictly

according to guidelines prescribed by the

religion. Our campaign must be aimed at

winning the hearts of people with our

character.

- Presentation of role models to

the young generation

The young generation is our future.

While imparting religious education, we

must narrate the stories of true role

models like Prophet Muhammad(s), Imam

Ali(a), Imam Husayn(a), Abu Dhar Ghaffari,

and others, who selflessly adopted Islamic

values and sacrificed their lives for a

cause more valuable than their lives.

Karbala and the principles of Imam

Husayn must be the used as the foremost

example of what Islam is and the place of

justice and martyrdom in the religion.

-Religious tolerance

Many Muslims mistakenly believe that

Islam does not tolerate the existence of

other religions in the world. In fact, Islam

preaches equal love and respect for all.

So, we must respect the religious

sentiments of others.

- Handling anti-Muslim

propaganda

Nathan Lean, writer and researcher, said

that the tide of Islamophobia, which is

sweeping through Europe and the United

States, is not a naturally occurring

phenomenon. It is a well-designed

strategy of a right-wing cadre of

intellectual hucksters, bloggers,

politicians, pundits, and religious leaders,

whose task is to prove that Muslims are

their enemy. We, the Muslims of the

entire world, have to handle this well-

organised, well-funded anti-Islam-

propaganda machinery in a very

intellectual way. Thinkers, scientists,

campaign strategists and journalists from

the community must join hands and

form communication channels to reach

both Muslims and non-Muslims.

- Imparting Islamic education to

youths of other communities

It has been observed that people hardly

have any knowledge about Islam and its

principles. Whatever little knowledge they

have is comes from media, which is

biased against Islam. In this scenario, our

task is to impart true knowledge of Islam

to people from other faiths as well. Inter-

faith dialogues, conferences, seminars,

debates and other such events are the

best ways to impart true Islamic

education. Our motto is to fill the

communication gap and construct a

bridge of thought and fairness over the

gaps to illuminate ourselves and the

surrounding environment.

Sameer Abbas ' aidi is a freelance

journalist based in New Delhi

What can we

do?

Learn your rel igion, do not inheri t i t

Disowning radical i sation

Reboot the rel igious learning

process

Master the art of mingl ing with

people of other communities

Critici se the bad, praise the good

B ecome the brand ambassadors

of rel igion

Present of role models to the

young generation

Religious tolerance

Tackle anti -Musl im propaganda

I mpart Islamic education to youths

of other communities

Spring23

Spring24

I spoke to five young women, and

two young men, ranging in age from

teens to mid twenties. Four are

pursuing studies, two have finished

their degrees. I asked them about their

Islamic education, the role of parents and

others, why they held on to their faith and

why they think other young people had

abandoned it. I also asked them their

opinions about the education of young

Muslims and how they had been affected

by modern developments in the

Islamic world. While this is not a

representative sample, their intelligent

and thoughtful comments do show

that much more attention needs to be

paid to Muslim youth, their place in the

modern world, and how they are

influenced by new ideas. Instead of

being ‘preached at’ by older people

they need to be part of the process of

adaptation to the society in which they

are living, bringing a new dynamism

into the practice of Islam.

YoungMuslims inthe UKSome frank opinions

Julia Khadija Lafene interviews five young Muslims froma South Asian background, and two from a British-Africanbackground, born and brought up in the west in order togauge feelings and opinions about their faith

25Spring

What part did your parents/family

play in your Islamic education?

Answers to this question show that

parental attitudes and guidance are

absolutely crucial to the spiritual wellbeing

of young people. Most described their

parents as ‘broad-minded’, open to

discussion, believing in Islam and

promoting human values and ethics.

Parents practised and encouraged their

children to do so in an inclusive way, so

that Islamic practices, such as prayers,

fasting, festivals and ethical behaviour

were part of normal family life, but not

rigidly enforced. One young woman said it

was her mother who wanted to separate

her Islam from cultural practices, which

could become a divisive issue, especially

as she grew older. Distinguishing ‘culture’

from Islam was a very important factor for

some young people; they wished to

disassociate themselves from what they

perceived as a negative influence on

Islam.

Have you discussed your faith with

others – peers, teachers etc. Have you

been influenced by them?

Four of the young people attended

Islamic school (madrasa) and other

Muslim activities up to the age of about

10, and two are still attending.- they enjoy

this and being part of the Muslim

community. One young woman said; ‘I’m

a teaching assistant at a madrasa and see

first hand that the children are dealt with

in a sensitive way and encouraged to

learn about contemporary issues affecting

them.’ However, another girl said her

short experience of madrasa was ‘horrible’

and unnecessarily strict. The others said

their parents did not send them to

madrasa because the methods used were

in sharp contrast to regular schools. It

seems that madrasas vary widely in their

approach. As regards peers, they said that

they varied a great deal; many Muslim

girls were ‘stricter’ and quite judgmental.

Teachers also varied; one RE teacher told

her students there was no God. If there

were only a few other Muslims in the

school, they were sometimes asked to

share their views on Islam. However no

YoungMuslims inthe UKSome frank opinions

...parental attitudes andguidance are absolutelycrucial to the spiritualwellbeing of youngpeople. Most describedtheir parents as ‘broad-minded’, open todiscussion, believing inIslam and promotinghuman values and ethics.

©AIMISLAM.com

Spring26

one mentioned bullying or discrimination;

in fact they were accepted at their schools.

One young woman at university said there

was a lot of corruption among students,

especially male, who have taken to the

"drinking culture". These young men pick

and choose what they want to follow and

intend to return to orthodoxy when they

settle down! On the other hand there are

students who join sects or groups which

uphold certain rigid practices, completely

impractical for modern life.

What encourages you to stick to your

faith - the good things about being a

Muslim? What are the challenges?

The responses to this question were most

heartening. Despite all the ‘media super-

bias against Muslims’ as one young

woman put it, they have all shown

amazing faith. ‘Islam gives you the feeling

of belonging to a supportive community,

where people help each other’. ‘Islam

gives you reliance on God, guidance and

principles to live by – it’s a balanced way

of life.’ ‘Islam gives you reassurance in

difficulties; renewing your wudhu (ritual

ablution) lifts a weight off your shoulders.

God takes care of you.’ ‘Islam is the best

guide to being a human being.’ ‘I am

Muslim because I want to be, to protect

myself.’ ‘ Maintaining a good relationship

with God through spiritual practice.’

Challenges: finding it difficult to fit in

practice with life-style; Islam challenges

you to ‘push yourself’. There was less

prejudice from non-Muslims, but more

from other Muslims. Wearing/not

wearing strict Islamic dress was a factor

in this. One young woman said she had

learnt to deal with pressures in

appropriate ways. For example when

challenged about not drinking, she just

said, ‘I don’t drink; nor do lots of other

people.’

Why do you think some young people

stop practising Islam?

The young people felt that this was mainly

due to the following: social and societal

pressures; ‘distractions of the world’;

negative attitude of the media and society

in general; young people are surrounded

by ‘anti-Islam’ and feel they don’t fit in (‘It’s

not cool to be Muslim’); misunderstanding

what is ‘Islamic’ and belief that some

practices are Islamic when they are

cultural, for example, getting girls married

really early or even forcing them. Young

people are really put off by these practices.

In fact it seems that the attitudes of some

older Muslims can antagonise younger

people.

What do you think about the way

youngsters are taught about Islam?

There was a strong feeling that young

people should be taught how to practise

their Islam in this society; they do not

need to go abroad to be good Muslims;

educators need to work out how Muslims

should interact with and live wherever

they are. ‘I think it’s bad that children are

taught to be sectarian – that should

change.’ One young woman thought living

in London was a blessing because

prejudice was ‘not cool’. A 17-year-old

said not enough attention was paid to

youthful curiosity; the teaching methods

‘put them down’ instead of encouraging

enquiring minds, but two young women

reported a more positive experience.

Generally it was felt that strict hijab

should be a choice as it can interfere with

normal activities.

Have you been affected by modern

events? How do you think young

Muslims can deal with this?

It was interesting that my respondents did

not on the whole seem much affected.

Generally they felt that extremists are a

very small minority and have nothing to

do with them. However one graduate

said that ISIS extremism had ‘knocked

my confidence – sometimes I question

myself – am I following the right path?’

To counter this, she saw herself as an

ambassador representing what Muslims

can do for society. The 17-year-old sees

life as a test – ‘there’s no such thing as an

easy life’. The oldest, a law student,

believes that ‘Islamic dress’ encourages

discrimination. He thinks this became

worse after 9/11. He felt this can only be

dealt with if there is more unity among

Muslims; there is no unified view of

Islamic law and this disunity is to the

detriment of Islam. When living here

Muslims must abide by British law.

To conclude, I was most impressed by the

way these young people saw their Islam as

a spiritual path which helped them to live

ethically, to make decisions appropriate to

their lives and by doing so contribute

positively to society. Sometimes cultural

background could get in the way. The

wisdom of their parents was a crucial

factor. Where the parents’ attitude was

open-minded, willing to discuss anything,

as well as being knowledgeable about

correct practices and themselves setting

good examples, the young people were

able to live their Islam and not abandon

it.

Julia Khadija Lafene graduated inModern History from OxfordUniversity. Since embracing Islamshe has studied Islamic Psychologyand self-knowledge.

27SpringSpring

27

©AIMISLAM.com

Spring28

When I first read the

letter by Ayatullah

Khamenei to the

youth of Europe and

North America, I was struck by many of

the things he mentioned and over

subsequent readings, certain statements

have resonated further and made me

think about how relevant the same

message is to the Muslim youth as well

as the non-Muslim youth (whom he is

predominantly addressing).

One of the sentences that I keep

coming back to is ‘What concepts and

values in Islam disturb the programmes

of the super powers?’ What is it about

the principles that we are taught from

childhood that make Islam a threat to

the status quo of those monopolising

power? In a world where the mighty

survive by ruling over – and exploiting –

the weak, nurturing ideals of peace,

truth, justice, equality, humanity and

self-respect is viewed as planting the

seeds of revolution.

Ayatullah Khamenei mentions that the

reason the letter is addressed to the

youth is because the sense of quest for

truth is more vigorous and attentive in

the hearts of the youth. This is vital to

the success of his message as it has

been for universal messages, including

that of Islam. All the messengers of

Dear You&

Me

Spring28

Batool Haydar reads between the lines of the Letter of the Ayatullah Khamenei and finds

that it applies equally to Muslim as well as non Muslim youth

29Spring

God directed their efforts and found

their firmest and sincerest supporters

predominantly amongst the youth for a

good reason. We are not only at the

peak of our physical energies during

this period of life, but also our mental

and spiritual ones.

Young people often achieve the

seemingly impossible due to the fact

that they simply didn’t know it was

considered to be so. They have a

sincerity that is deeply embedded in

their ideals and see truth untainted by

the cynicism that often comes with age

and experience. These years are a fertile

time; a pure, unpolluted planting

ground with the perfect conditions in

which to grow the kind of character and

personality desired for a lifetime. This is

also the reason why those who are

trying to defame Islam or distort it do so

by targeting the young.

It is probably for this reason that in the

letter, Ayatullah Khamenei skips over

the usual advice that we take our

information from: parents, politicians

and media propaganda. He asks that

the youth form their opinions based on

original sources only and trust the

Truth to stand out and influence their

worldview.

The Sinusoidal Sea ofFaith

The heart is created in a manner that

allows it to be swayed in the direction of

that which appeals to it and attracts it.

Advertising and marketing campaigns

know this and present ‘carrots’ to their

audiences that will ‘pull’ them towards

their hearts' desires. All cars are metal

shells on four wheels, but we buy the

one that we believe will give us our

particular carrot: coolness, adventurism,

sex appeal, and a happy family… the

same basic product, tailor-packaged for

the target audience.

The tug-of-war begins when the heart

begins to want to think for itself. Do I

want to be cool or do I want to be

eccentric? If I want to be cool, is it a

brainy cool or a brawny one? Because

questions stem from indecision, we

seek out better informed sources to

help us make our decision and trust

them to have our best interests at heart.

In matters of faith, the same idea

applies. The reason why Islam has such

a universal appeal is because the

principles it promotes seek to create

the best atmosphere for humanity to

exist and thrive. However, for those

whose hearts have already been swayed

by greed, power and wealth, this is a

threat to their existence. Unable to

disparage the actual values, they seek to

destroy the ‘package’ that it is delivered

in.

For the youth, the message of justice

and peace is highly attractive. Their

innate essence cries out for these ideals

to prevail and the more they see of the

war and injustice around them, the

more they want to have an enemy to

fight, a cause to join, a rally to protest

in, something to do - a sense of

empowerment.

The youth are at the core of the

struggle of each protagonist and the

direction in which they are swayed will

determine the future of human history.

The danger is that Islam – the strongest

source and supporter of these values –

is being made out to be that enemy - to

be the problem instead of the solution.

Does Islam need a Refresh Button?

As young Muslims try to find an identity

for themselves as followers of a faith

that is the target of a massive amount

of negative propaganda, they can find

their hearts swaying between wanting to

be like everyone else and wanting to be

individual. They recognise that the

Islam they are taught and grow up with,

is not the Islam that is being

propagated by the extremists and

fanatics. However they also have the

need to belong to the general society

they are in.

To do this, they tend to seek out

solutions to blend the different aspects

of their life. While Islam has always

welcomed and celebrated the rich

variety of culture, lines must be drawn

when the two clash. It is here that the

letter becomes most relevant to

Muslims.

Seeking out Islam from its original

sources is the only way to know when a

situation is creating a clash and also

the only way to understand where the

boundaries should exist.

When we begin to realise that a lot of

Muslims grow with a version of Islam

that may have started from family or

religious sources, but ends up being

coloured by the promoted idea of Islam,

it becomes easier to understand why

Muslim youth end up trying to

Americanise or Anglicise Islam.

The results that stem from this attempt

are all around us. Whether it is general

habits such as videos on how to look

hot in a hijab, sharing photos

"… the reason theletter is addressed tothe youth is becausethe sense of quest fortruth is more vigorousand attentive in thehearts of the youth.This is vital to thesuccess of hismessage as it hasbeen for universalmessages, includingthat of Islam."

Spring29

Spring30

unreservedly online, incorporating

Islamic phrases and risqué ones or

specific ideas and projects such as the

infamous Happy British Muslims video

of yesteryear, the Mipsterz

phenomenon, terms like ‘hijabistas’, or

the attempt to incorporate Islamic

messages into radical music genres.

Where do we pause to make a

distinction on how much it is possible

to bring two ideas together? How much

does it take before the lines begin to

blur? Should we attempt to go down a

path, the end of which will lead to

something that conflicts with Islamic

ideals? These are questions that need

to be thought about, researched and

analysed.

Making ItPersonal

It is not as simple as filling a current

need. The choices the youth make

today will create the foundation for the

generations of tomorrow. The Islam we

pass on to our children will be the only

version they know – how purely we

preserve it or how much we choose to

dilute it will provide them with the base

formula that they will in turn have to

make choices about.

For this reason, the emphasis on relying

on the main unchanging sources rather

than on the filtered versions passed on

from person to person is so vital. The

Islam that we will receive into our souls

when we seek communion with God

through His unadulterated message in

the Qur’an will be a very different Islam

from the one that we gather piecemeal

from those around us.

It will be a personal conversation and

one that we will be involved in on a

one-to-one basis with our Creator and

the earlier in life that we begin this

conversation, the more confidently we

will learn to rely on it and trust it. Our

choices will be based on a stronger,

more dedicated education and our

ideals founded on a firmer base.

At the end of the day, whether we are

young or young-at-heart, the decision

belongs to us – as it always has: Do we

want to personalise Islam or do we

want to make Islam personal? The

choice we make and collectively

encourage as an ummah [nation] will

determine what kind of Islam survives

the current crisis it faces. The choice we

make could influence the ability of the

human race to coexist and grow

together in a world removed from

hatred and falsehood – a dream that

only the message of Islam can truly

make come true.

.

As youngMuslims tryto find anidentity for

themselves…., theyrecognise that theIslam they aretaught and growup with, is not theIslam that is beingpropagated by theextremists andfanatics. Howeverthey also have theneed to belong tothe general societythey are in.

Batool Haydar is a wordsmith who has

written many articles and blogs

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Sheikh Usama Abdulghani explains our responsibilities in the light of

Ayatollah Khamenei’s letter to the youth of Europe and America

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W hy is the letterimportant? What is ourresponsibility towardsthe letter and the return

of the Imam of the Time?

When we look at the narrations of theAhl ul Bayt(a), we find out when theydiscuss the End of Time, some of themrefer to certain signs before the Imamreturns. But there are also othernarrations which refer to our practicalresponsibilities. What is it that should bedone before the Imam’s return? I like tostudy the letter in the light of theresponsibilities that are on our shouldersto bring about the return of the Imam ofour time.The narration tells us that knowledge willmove from Kufa (present day Iraq) toQum (Iran) before the Imam returns.Qum will become a source of knowledgefor the world.The narration reads: “Soon Kufa will

become empty of the believers and

knowledge will disappear, the same way

that a snake disappears in its lair.

Knowledge will reappear in another city,

a city called Qum. Qum will become a

source of knowledge and merit,

righteousness will flow from Qum”.

What happens then?

What we learn from this narration is thatknowledge will not stop at Qum. Theknowledge of Alh ul Bayt(a) and themessage of Islam will spread from Qum toother cities in the East and the West untilthere is no one who is uninformed aboutthe religion. This does not mean thateveryone becomes Muslim before theImam returns, but rather that there won’tbe anyone uninformed about the religion,and they will be able to make a choice.The truth becomes clear from falsehoodand anybody who wants to know aboutIslam is informed about it. A minority willcontinue disliking Islam, to hate Islam, butthe majority will discover that Islam isn’tthe enemy; rather Islam is what they areall looking for. Islam is what is going tobring them salvation, peace and security.This part of the narration has yet totranspire, while the first part of thisprophecy has already happened.

Knowledge has moved from Kufa to Qumand from there started to spread. Thereare many students from around the worldwho are studying and gaining knowledgein Qum.

What happens when this process

starts taking place?

The narration tells us that once everyoneis informed about the religion, at thisstage the Awaited Imam(ats) will appear.

So where do we come into it. And

what is our role in all of this?

The reality is that today there are a lot ofpeople who do not know about Islam andthey have never had a chance to learnabout Islam from its true sources.The Islam they have been fed is either theIslam of missionaries who pose asMuslims, deliberately destroying the nameof Islam and the name of the Prophet orpeople who have hostile agendas and

want to show that Islam is an enemy tomankind. People get to know about Islamvia TV channels which have taken Islamas their personal enemy.As people haven’t ever been exposed totrue Islam, our responsibility is to informpeople about Islam itself, to speak topeople, neighbours, friends, co-workers, toprovide them with the Holy Qur’an, to tellthem what the original sources are, and toget people to know about Islam itself.Once we do that, they may come to knowIslam – we are not forcing anyone tobecome Muslim – then at that stage theproof of God will become clear forhumanity and (God willing) we willwitness the return of our Imam.

Sheikh Usama Abdulghanihas studied in the IslamicSeminary in Qum.He specialises in Islamic Lawand Principles of IslamicJurisprudence, along withFamily Ethics in Islam.

“The truth becomes clear from falsehood and anybody whowants to know about Islam is informed about it. A minoritywill continue disliking Islam, to hate Islam but the majority willdiscover that Islam isn’t the enemy; rather Islam is what theyare all looking for. Islam is what is going to bring them thesalvation, peace and security.

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An

Historical

Letter

In an interview with the Tasnim

News Agency, Italian anthropologist

Tiziana Ciavardini, discussing the

significance of the letter says:

“Ayatollah Khamenei said that there had

been a flood of misinformation about

Islam in the West. Unfortunately, in

western countries people who declare

themselves as ‘expert’ on Islam sometimes

are confused about the understanding of

the religion, even the one who tries to

tarnish the image of Islam. This is one of

the reasons behind the increase of

Islamophobia in the West.”

“When the letter first appeared in

English on the website I told myself: this

will be a historic letter. As far as I know,

this is the first time that Ayatollah

Khamenei talks to the western youth in

this confidential way. The letter seems -

to me - to say more than the words

written in it.”: she added.

As to why Ayatollah has addressed the

youth specifically, she says: “Ayatollah

Khamenei understands better than

anyone the importance of the new

generation. He is talking to them

because he knows the older generation

are already spoiled. He knows that we

must push our youth to learn and

study, since they are the future. If we

encourage our youth to understand

Islam from the [real] source, we can

Italian anthropologist Tiziana Ciavardini describes Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei’sletter to Western youth as a ’historic letter whose impact will be revealed in future’

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hope for a better future with less people

being afraid of Islam. Islamophobia is

just a fear of what we don’t know….. The

best part of this letter is the way he

emphasises the education of new

generations. He knows that education

is the way to succeed not only in school

or university. Education is the way to

fight the war and bring peace on the

earth. It is noteworthy that he didn’t ask

the youth to convert to Islam and be

Muslim, he just urged them to

understand Islam and study from its

real source. He did not refer to

violence directly, but the intellectual

conditions that allows ideologies of

violence to exist.”

She further adds: “Some Western

countries are losing values day by day and

most of the youth do not have any hope

for the future, not even dreams. I am not

a Muslim, but I have not seen in any

other religion the devotion I see in Islam.

I think Islam can help all of us to

understand better the world we live in.

The lands of Islam have given birth to

the most famous scientists and

intellectuals. How can we believe that

the same lands can give birth to people

who spread death? Whoever associates

Islam with the terrorist groups surely

doesn’t know Islam. Ayatollah

Khamenei has distanced himself from

such terrorist acts. It is unthinkable that

someone who really believes in a

religion may commit these acts. How

can a religion of peace suggest killing

other people? Islam has nothing to do

with this brutality. What people do not

understand yet is that the primary

victim of this cruelty is Islam itself. They

operate in the name of Islam but the

reasons are not religious but just

political. These attacks and terrorist

groups are damaging the peaceful

vision of Islam. We [the west] benefit or

get power by showing Islam as hostile.”

When asked about the best way to

present Islam to the western youth she

said: “We know that Islam is spreading

in Europe. Islam is the second largest

religion in Italy for example.

I think the next step must be taken by

Western governments by increasing

useful projects to let people understand

Islam better. In Italy we have schools

with scholars from diverse nationalities

and I hope in the future we will be able

to introduce Religious Education

instead of studying one religion only.

Studying other religions does not mean

converting to them, but learning more

about something we don’t know. In the

letter Ayatollah Khamenei wrote about

the ‘other’. This term is exactly what we

must understand.

Knowing the ‘other’ means knowing

people who are different from us and

we must consider diversity as a great

value to help us to learn more about

ourselves.”

She added: “What is written in the letter

is very true, we must learn from the real

source, I hope that this letter could help

the youth to study Islam as a religion,

and lessen the bad propaganda against

Islam”.

Tiziana Ciavardini is a cultural

anthropologist, and president of

Italy’s Ancis Anthropology Forum

"Whoever associates Islam with the terroristgroups surely doesn’t know Islam. AyatollahKhamenei has distanced himself from suchterrorist acts. It is unthinkable that someonewho really believes in a religion may committhese acts.

"The best part of this letter is the way heemphasises the education of newgenerations. He knows that education isthe way to succeed not only in school oruniversity. Education is the way to fightthe war and bring peace on the earth.

Following the publication of Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei’s letter tothe youth of Europe and North America - mostly on social media,Taqrib News (TN) interviewed interfaith experts - Chris Hewer andpolitical and peace activist - Dr James B Thring asking them tocomment on the letter and related issues. The following is anabstract from the interview.

Commments

Chris Hewerhasworked as an adviseroninterfaith relations to theBishop ofBirminghambetween 1999 to 2005.

Dr James B Thring is aBritish academic, authorand anti-war activist. Heis also director of thepressure group ‘MinistryofPeace’

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Chris Hewer: “Islamophobia unfortunately has many roots.

Like any other phobia, it is based on irrational fear and not

on reasoned argument. It can be fuelled by those who wish

to sow discord between peoples. It can be made to serve

political, religious and economic ends. A well-grounded

knowledge of Islam on the part of Muslim youth will enable

them to be advocates of a truly Islamic way of life in the

West. It is crucial that ways are found to communicate the

message of Islam to non-Muslims rooted in the West for the

sake of their education and for world peace and not just as

a means of seeking converts. The most powerful tool in the

hands of young western Muslims is to live a life based on

the true teachings and spirit of Islam so that others may

observe Islam in action and thus be engaged to learn more,

so putting an end to ignorance and distortion.”

Dr Thring: “Western youth has a role to play in appraising

itself of the beneficence of Islam. Sadly, it is unlikely that

many will study Islam carefully under the current regime of

prejudice and indoctrination. There are however useful

summaries, such as 'loyalty, freedom, equality, respect,

peace' and some distinctive features of Islam' which I found

being distributed by some centres and that can be easily

assimilated as a start.

Once intrigued, the youth that often reacts to diktats from

older generations, should recognise the social and moral

leadership of Islamic teaching and dismiss the prejudices

that have been planted by those who propagate anti-social

and immoral practices.

The youth have a role in complaining about these

prejudices by writing to the media which otherwise grows

complacent about the public's tolerance of their increasingly

rampant propaganda….”

Hewer: “Ignorance is the most important factor in

spreading Islamophobia in the West. We can think first of

ignorance of what it means to live a whole way of life based

on a religious understanding, a sense of living in the

presence of God and of being accountable on the Day of

Judgement. Many in the West are ignorant about religion in

general and not just Islam. A media that serves

sensationalism and economic ends rather than seeking

knowledge and portraying it accurately undoubtedly fuels

the spread of Islamophobia. It is unfortunately true that

there are many dreadful actions and words that defy the

teachings of Islam but are committed under that label; they

give plentiful scope for media misrepresentation.

Islamophobia can be stimulated by those who seek to make

political, economic or religious gain from it. In a world in

which the human life of “the enemy” has been cheapened

and in which nations and others have access to weapons of

terrible magnitude, and it seems the motivation to use them,

the present state of ignorance and other forces that drive

towards wrong interpretations of Islam and the Muslim way

of life, on one hand, and equally the ignorance and false

interpretations of “the West”, on the other, must be regarded

as some of the most serious issues facing modern global

society.”

Dr Thring: “Lack of understanding facilitates the

Islamophobia propagated by the media and certain

politicians. Immigration concerns also play a secondary role

although no phobia is allowed of non-Muslim immigrants

from Africa, Asia or Europe. But the most important factor

in the UK and probably the 'west' in general, is the

supremacy in media..... this insidious denigration of Muslims

also occurs in other sectors: In education Muslims are

pilloried for inculcating 'extremism' into UK schools using a

'Trojan Horse'. This conspiracy theory has been exposed but

is still regurgitated by the syndicated media to terrify

students and parents against Islam….In food processing,

Halal killing of animals is abhorred although similar

methods are practised by the Jewish community which is

scarcely mentioned.”

“I see the Grand Ayatollah's letter as reinforcing the

openness of the Islamic Republic of Iran to listen to

other faiths and cultures and to encourage dialogue

and understanding between them.

His letter will promote understanding of Islamic culture by

asking searching questions, exposing the propaganda

poisoning the minds of those exposed to largely 'western'

orchestrated media; by encouraging research and a scientific

attitude towards the Holy Qur'an. It will make people think and

discuss the contributions of Islam to global progress. Thus they

will appreciate its peaceful, edifying and moral influences.

Can Islamophobia in the West be

uprooted by western youth after studying

Islam carefully?

Which factor or factors are more

important in spreading Islamophobia in

the West? 'Lack of understanding Islam'

politicians' media' '

Following the publication of Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei’s letter tothe youth of Europe and North America - mostly on social media,Taqrib News (TN) interviewed interfaith experts - Chris Hewer andpolitical and peace activist - Dr James B Thring asking them tocomment on the letter and related issues. The following is anabstract from the interview.

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Hewer: “The only way to eradicate war and violence is to

change the hearts of human beings. No amount of external

laws or resolutions of international bodies will achieve this

end. The motto of all the prophets of God might be written:

“Good people make for good societies”. Dialogue takes

place on four levels. We can think first of people working

together to create a way of life in their society in which

human life can flourish; this requires true dialogue as

“talking things through” in which everyone is prepared to

learn from the other. Second, people improve the world in

which we live by cooperating to go to the help of those in

need, to relieve the hunger and sickness of the poor, and to

promote education and better mutual understanding. Such

joint action demands that we see beyond our own selfish

ends and also that we learn to work together. On the third

level, we are intelligent beings possessed of reason and thus

our scholars need to sit together, build mutual trust and

eradicate misunderstandings. God is one and the human

family is one, thus we need to be able to hear God speaking

to the human condition through the faith tradition of the

other. Finally, if we take God seriously, dialogue must have a

spiritual dimension, in which we weigh carefully in our hearts

before God the spiritual truths and practices of others and

seek to allow God to direct us all in this process. We can

never reduce another community worshipping the one God

to a cultural expression and deny the Divine - human

relationship at its centre.”

Dr Thring: “There is plenty of room for such dialogue.

Rigorous debate can clear the air of prejudicial

indoctrination and thus de-escalate the violence and

wars promulgated by avaricious and aggressive

politicians covertly exploiting phantom ogres.

There is also much enlightenment to be gained by

comparing religious codes which underpin most of our

civilised societies and by highlighting the similarities as

opposed to the differences. This should normally

dispel misunderstandings and engender friendship.”

Hewer: “It is the duty of all people of good will to work to

eradicate ignorance and promote harmony between

peoples. Dialogue is too important to be left to politicians

or specialists in the field. Many non-Muslim religious

people and the thinkers of society lack the knowledge and

will to promote a better understanding of Islam. We must

realise the truth of the saying that, “There can be no peace

between peoples without peace between religions, and there

can be no peace between religions without a deep

understanding of religions other than one’s own. Ayatollah

Khamenei rightly points out the debt which Europe owes to

the Islamic civilisation of the 9th to 13th centuries, as a

vehicle for transmission of Greek thought and the richness

of Persian and Indian civilisations; all of which had been

substantially enhanced by their passage through the multi-

cultural and multi-religious Abbasid Empire. Any serious

inter-faith dialogue needs to be based on sound scholarship

and an empathetic understanding of “the other”. The

Islamic intellectual history is not only rich and deep but

also, being based on reason and philosophical structures,

readily accessible to people in the West who have been

trained in philosophical thought.”

Dr Thring: “It would help if they did. But it is rare because

everyone is made to fear supporting Islam owing to the false

association with 'terrorism' which has been associated in

the public psyche with Islam. As the lies and deceptions are

exposed the truth will dawn on people who will want to

revise their misperceptions about Islam in general, possibly

with extreme anger at the lies they have been fed.

There is thus plenty of material for preachers and

academics to deploy to energise discussion about the truth

about Islam and the horrific tragedies its adherents have

suffered in the last century or two. And there is much to be

revealed about the motives and beneficiaries of the

somewhat ignominious colonial activities of 'western'

nations… There is also more that can be taught about the

ethical, cultural and scientific achievements of Islam, many

of which have been covertly incorporated into western

culture.

How much can dialogue among religions'

civilisations and cultures help humankind to

eradicate war and violence and promote better

understanding and friendship?

Can the elite and western thinkers try to

inform the youth about this message and

mention the necessity of studying about

and negotiating with the real Islam?

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Lisa Guliani

Former Internet-based Political TalkShow Host, Political writer, Researcher,Activist, Conscientious Objector

“I think it’s an important message,valuable not only to the youth of this

world, but to everyone. I hope when

people read Khamenei’s message, it

gives them pause to explore more

deeply on their own, because with

increased knowledge comes clearer

understanding, and in this way, we

inform our collective and individual

consciences – critically needed in

today’s world."

People’s responseMichael Van Arragon

Social Service Work Student, Hamilton,Ontario - Canada

“It’s an interesting exercise toengage in a letter writing campaign

like this one…… Ifour youth are to

have a clear picture ofanything

happening today, academics and

journalists must engage with some

form ofrelativistic inquiry that

weighs fact favourably against the

dogmatic and contradictory

epistemology ofcorporatist

governments.."

Edward Lovo

Freelance writer and a member of the YoungCommunist League in Canada

“Dear Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei,Leader ofThe Islamic Republic of Iran,

Besides your correct estimation of the youths'

intellectual capabilities in the West, your

letter reflects a deep understanding of the

incongruity between historical truths and

journalistic integrity.

Islamophobia serves a function: it is a frame

ofmind which justifies the very war that

creates the target of its own bigotry… The

future’s hindsight will look at Western

attitudes toward Islam as another

manifestation of the “mission civilisatrice,”

one more pretext the imperialists required to

pursue their foreign policy aims––and one

more blemish on the West’s historical

record."

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People’s responseJoaquin Flores

Analyst at the Centre for Syncretic Studies -

Belgrade, Serbia

“Given the crossroads we are at, andgiven the US’s propensity for war, given

the Islamophobia being used as a tool in

this, and given the power ofhabit and

prejudice over many in the west – we can

see the thoughtful intention behind Iran’s

Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei’s recent

Letter to the Youth in Europe and North

America, dated January 21st of this year.

He reflects an understanding that the

advances in new media and

communication allow a new generation

ofpeople in Europe and North America

to see beyond the fences and walls

created around them by their own

societies. While he is clear that no single

person or push can mend the rift

between the Western and Islamic worlds,

he asks that each one ofus can see

beyond the hyperbole and dangerous

rhetoric, and seek out understanding."

Anthony Hall

Professor of Globalisation Studies,University of Lethbridge, Alberta,Canada

“Dear Supreme Leader; I have beeninspired by your inspired andblessed letter to North American andEuropean youths. I noticed you referspecifically to academics who writeabout issues in the past like thegenocide of Indigenous peoples,slavery, imperialism and such. Ibelieve your wise reflections haveclose application to my research,teaching and publication…"

Richard Falk

Professor Emeritus of International Law at

Princeton University - USA

“A fine and humane statement,although directed at youth is of

importance for all ofus. Its viewpoint

would create the spiritual and ethical

foundation for feeling ofcommunity

that extend to the entire human

species. Such a feeling is urgently

needed to overcome the distrust and

special interest that block movement

toward nuclear disarmament and

climate security..."

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Charles Taliaferro

Professor of Philosophy at St. Olaf College

-USA

“I believe that this message from the

Leader of the Islamic Republic, to the

youth in the West is most welcome. It

should be welcomed by those ofany age

in the West. His analogy about Islam

and Christianity is deeply wise. … today,

everyone, perhaps especially the youth

who are trying to be open minded and

find wisdom, need to discern what is

truly Islam and what is false. While the

letter’s focus is on challenging those

who portray Islam as innately

dangerous and bent on violating the

rights ofothers, it implicitly challenges

and condemns those who wrongly use

the name of Islam and the Prophet to

carry out acts ofviolence which are

clearly in violation ofQur’anic

teachings."

Rev. John Bryson Chane

Former President and CEO of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation - USA

“I am delighted to read the Leader’s letter. It is for me an opportunity to echo what

Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei has expressed in his letter to the youth. The future of the

world rests squarely in the hands, hearts, minds and souls of the youth of the world. …The

great challenge before us as Muslim and Christian leaders is to work tirelessly with the

young whether in Western Europe or North America to focus on religious values and the

moral principles that define both the core of the Prophet Muhammad’s teaching as

experienced by reading the Holy Qur’an and also the teachings and theologies ofother

prophets and Jesus… "

Caleb Maupin

American Journalist & Political Analyst

“I was very moved to discover that theleader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran

had chosen to address the youth of

Europe and North America. It shows

that he is very interested in the events

taking place far beyond the borders of

the Islamic Republic, and he is closely

tuned in to world events.

The Supreme Leader has confidence

that this new generation can be better

than that. We can aspire to actually

stand up for truth and justice, see

beyond the deception, and change the

world…"

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Sinead O'Connor

Irish Singer-Songwriter, Activist and Pacifist

“Dear Sir, Message from a European

mother offour of the youths you have

publicly written to. I’m assuming you

were expecting replies from mothers and

fathers who might wish to pass your

letter on. The majority ofEuropean and

North American people, youth or

otherwise are in fact intelligent and

aware enough to have composed your

letter almost word for word themselves,

in their sleep. It’s a pristine letter …, it’s

really quite wonderful, every word of it is

true. As long as it denounces every

warmonger, terrorist, rapist or child-

snatcher who claims to be part ofany

religious tradition on earth… "

Dr. Peter Cohen

Anthropologist

“The recent letter by Iranian Leader …is a reaction to the recent disturbing

developments ofalleged Islamic

extremism, and the equally disturbing

anti-Islamic fear, hatred and violence

that has accompanied and mirrored it.

It is a plea for tolerance and bridge

building between our two societies. It

addresses Western biases and the fact

that they tend to be recognised only

well after the fact. It demands reflexivity

from Western youth on the increasingly

negative perceptions of Islam in their

societies and the deeper historical,

economic and geo-political reasons

behind them. It is an appeal to logic,

critical thinking and understanding,

and an invitation for young westerners

to discover Islam for themselves and

make up their own minds. ..I applaud

Mr. Khamenei’s attempt to reach out

and bridge the manufactured divide

between our peoples…"

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