Sowing and Reaping of Destiny

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“In Fraternity - A Message to Muslims in America” by Hassan Hathouth, Ph.D., M.D., Fathi Osman, Ph.D., Maher Hathouth, M.D., published by the Minaret Publishing House, The Islamic Center of South California 90020. “A Young Muslim's Guide to the Modern World” by: Syed Hossein Nasr. Published by Kazi Publication. Chicago. Having settled in the West, many parents proclaim that their main purpose of settling in the West has been to educate their children. What youths often fail to recognize is that many parents have struggled hard and undergone many hardships to achieve this objective. Educated youths born and bred in the West at the same time feel that having acquired higher education, elders are not generally prepared to listen to their views and involve them effectively in community affairs for evolving policies and approaches. This is essential for a smooth transition in passing over the baton to the younger generation. As a result, a growing sense of disenchantment is emerging everywhere amongst the educated youths who consequently tend to run shy of the community. This is glaringly reflected in their poor attendance at various community functions and at the general meetings of the Jamaat. What this portends for the future is a moot question that cannot be taken lightly. A cynical view held by some youngsters that a “Jamaat is a special type of institution run by its own inmates” calls for some soul searching. HARNESSING TALENTS AND POTENTIALS Running of Jamaat institutions is viewed as being too cumbersome and taxing on those who volunteer to serve, consuming much of their time and energies. This reality often discourages young professionals, recently married and with children to bring up. They cannot afford to spare enough time away from their families and their jobs to devote in the service of the community with their longwinded meetings and fruitless debates. To a variable degree, Jamaats in the West appear to be operating in similar manner as they used to operate in Africa or in the Indo-Pak sub-Continent. In order to attract younger generations of the educated professionals in community services, a more pragmatic approach will have to be devised. 32
There is need for some form of continuity where experienced personnel are replaced in phases and not overthrown completely as it often happens in elections. To groom youngsters into community service, a system could be devised whereby young professionals are enlisted for specific tasks for a given period of time. Having accomplished their task, they can exercise the option to step back or volunteer their services for additional assignments. This will provide youngsters exposure to community work and gain experience in the process. It will also provide them with a sense of involvement, belonging and ownership that is so crucial to the development of a vibrant society. In the process, it may also help to instill fresh outlook overall. Such policies are better devised in consultations with the younger generation. Elders need to recognize the fact that many of them before settling in the West had no experience or track record in community service. Yet, out of necessity, many individuals have successfully emerged as community leaders, as religious leaders leading congregational prayers, delivering sermons and teaching in Sunday Schools. Some of them have also proved themselves effective social workers. Lacking in first hand experience in community service while they were in Africa or in the Indian sub continent, elders could recall and draw from the experience of others in what they had seen in their places of origin and adapt to local environments. By the same token, it is to be recognized that their offspring, born and bred in the West, lacking in any exposure of the cultural environments from where their parents came from can be classified as products of the "bifurcation of cultures" i.e., Indo/East African Khoja and now to Indo/East African, British/European, American/Canadian, Australian etc., Khoja blend! As a result they are often unable to understand and relate to outlook promoted by their parents which they sometimes find alien. A great challenge faces elders on this score. It calls for understanding, tolerance, compassionate and loving approach in moulding younger generations in understanding and appreciating ingrained values and cultural background that elders wish to inculcate. A domineering approach by elders leads to disenchantment and even rebellion. This has to be avoided. An important economic aspect is often overlooked here. Among the new breed of young professionals, there are many who earn six figures and above. When this segment of the society distances itself from involving in community affairs, they do not feel an urge to contribute towards community funds. Some well 33
Page 3 and 4: The Sowing And Reaping Of Destiny W
Page 5 and 6: CONTENTS Introduction . . . . . . .
Page 7 and 8: Hassan Ali M. Jaffer who has been a
Page 9 and 10: NORTH AMERICAN SCENE Writers with a
Page 11 and 12: A review of the history of printing
Page 13 and 14: Consequence of this introvert polic
Page 15 and 16: KHOJA IDENTITY Khoja are not a race
Page 17 and 18: HISTORY OF MINORITIES This is the h
Page 19 and 20: With the loss of language, over a p
Page 21 and 22: KHOJA MIGRATORY PATTERNS Phase (1)
Page 23 and 24: Phase (5) - 1860 onwards Into East
Page 25 and 26: In an Africana discussion forum (Se
Page 28 and 29: “ What we do today and how we now
Page 30 and 31: Leaders of the Community have alway
Page 32 and 33: REFORMS Common with all immigrant s
Page 34 and 35: attitudes towards women. Issues of
Page 38 and 39: meaning youngsters end up being exp
Page 40 and 41: With parochial outlook gaining mome
Page 42 and 43: DANGER SIGNALS Success of the Khoja
Page 44 and 45: were kidnapped from West Africa and
Page 46 and 47: of Muslims would prove infertile, l
Page 48 and 49: The idea of this innovative project
Page 50 and 51: the Indian state or its educational
Page 52 and 53: In post independent Kenya, Sajjad R
Page 54: NOTES 50

Sowing and Reaping of Destiny

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